Over The Hills And Far Away
by Winchestergirl5
Summary: The last time we saw Meredith and Dean they were getting their happy ending. Will they be able to maintain the apple pie life or will it just be too much? Will Jude be raised as a hunter? What happens when Sam returns? Part 3 to Diary of a Hunter.
1. A Look Into the Past

Author's Note: Third installment! Exciting, yes? I'm excited. I'm not actually quite sure where I'm going with this so let me know what you think/things YOU'D like to see/suggestions. This first chapter is mostly flashbacks but they are important. The next chapter will be the official beginning of the story, which will start a couple of months after Sam's death.

Let me know what you think!

P.S. In the last flashback, Jude is close to turning 2!

* * *

><p>"<em>You know, we've been up here for a while. I wonder if you're mom is ever going to wonder what we've been doing since we obviously haven't been playing guitar," Haley started.<em>

Victoria shrugged, "I'm sure she's not worried. It's not like demons are much of a problem anymore anyway."

"_Okay so that was kind of a happy ending," Haley said, referencing the end of the second journal. "I didn't know that your mom and dad were so in love like this. It's actually really romantic."_

_"I know. I never really knew all of this either. I mean, they've talked a little about it but after reading these, I realized how crazy they are about each other," Victoria replied._

_"Man, where do my parents come in?" Haley joked._

_"They'll probably come in eventually. That or we should snoop around your mother's attic in hopes of finding secret diaries," Victoria joked too._

_"I highly doubt my mother kept any diaries," Haley said back._

_"You know, my mom and dad, every Saturday morning, will just sit at the table together. Sometimes they talk a lot but other times they don't say a thing and I remember at five years old just sitting at the top of the steps and listening to the – whether it was silence or not – and thinking: yeah, that's love. They just seemed so happy together. It didn't matter if it was silence. It was one of those good silences. They enjoyed just being with each other. They still do!" Victoria admired._

_"Aww, that just makes me want to read more. Can we read the third diary?" Haley asked._

_"Hah, yeah. Okay, let's see… Ooh this is good…_

_Diary, so much as happened that I don't even know where to start… I guess I'll write about all the big things that have happened so far…"_

**~Flashback~**

"Hey, Meredith?" I heard a voice ask.

I turned around to see Cameron standing in the hallway. He had just come from outside to get the mail and stood at the door. He looked kind of scared.

"Hey, Cameron. What's up?" I asked.

"I just got the mail," he replied.

"Okay?" I replied, almost as if it were a question. Why was he being so weird.

"I uh… I got my letter from UNC," Cameron stammered.

"Oh my God! Well, have you opened it yet?" I asked.

"Yeah," Cameron replied, paralyzed.

"Cameron, are you-," I started.

"I got in!" he exclaimed, a smile spreading across his face.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah! I got in, Meredith! Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

"Congratulations, Cameron! Oh my God, this is amazing! UNC is your dream school! Wow…" I said, moving over to Cameron and then hugging him. He hugged me back and then the two of us pulled away. "Well, let's see that acceptance letter!"

"Haha, okay," Cameron chuckled. He still seemed to be in disbelief of it all. He pulled out the letter and handed it to me. I read the first line over and over that let Cameron know that he had been accepted. This was so exciting!

"Where is everyone? I think you should tell them," I encouraged.

"Yeah? You don't think anyone would be mad? I mean… you think they'd let me go?" Cameron asked.

"I'm pretty sure that everyone will be happy for you," I chuckled.

"Okay," Cameron laughed a little.

"Actually, you know what? I think I might call my dad."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah," Cameron replied. Cameron's dad had been trying to get back into contact with him. He had left several messages on the answering machine, apologizing to his son but Cameron had just said that he wasn't ready yet and that it wasn't right time. Now, maybe it was.

"You should," I smiled.

"Okay," Cameron said. "I got into college!"

I smiled. I was so happy for him. I had watched the kid work so hard in school for the past two years and finally all of his hard work was paying off.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback~**

"Wait, Dean, slow down. I'm sorry, you're going to have to explain all of this again," I said.

"You know how Cas said that we were looking for Michael's sword? Yeah, well another dickwad angel came by to tell me that Michael's sword or Michael's vessel or whatever is not a thing but a person. It's me, Mer," Dean growled angrily.

"You mean the thing that can defeat Lucifer?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Dean replied. He paced back and forth in the waiting room of the hospital. Bobby was alive which was good and after everything that had happened, Dean and I were paying him another visit. I worried about the both of them but at the moment, I was extremely worried about Dean.

"But how, Dean?" I asked.

"I don't know. Apparently all I have to do is say yes to Michael and I become his meat suit and battle it out with Lucifer," Dean replied.

"Baby, please sit," I begged.

"I don't want to sit!" Dean snapped. It stung a little but I understood why he was so edgy lately. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. It's not your fault."

"It's okay," I said.

"How's Bobby?" Dean asked.

"He's good. They're discharging him tomorrow," I replied.

"Good. What am I going to do, Mer? I can't say yes! These angels act like I'm their frickin' puppet!" Dean exclaimed.

I nodded slowly, "I know. But look, we'll wait it out. I think if there's one thing I've learned from all this, it's that we can never tell what's going to happen next. We'll do it together." Dean took a deep breath and sat next to me. I reached for his hand and he held mine, our fingers entwined.

"How is that you always know what to say to me in these kinds of situations?" Dean asked.

I shrugged, "I've had a lot of practice. Let's just say we've been in a lot of these kinds of situations."

"I don't know what I'd do without out you," Dean replied. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he leaned his head against mine.

"Yeah, well, let's hope you never have to find out," I said back.

"Hah, let's hope," Dean replied. He kissed my forehead and then returned to laying his head against mine. The two of us just stayed there for a while. I knew that Dean was having a hard time, especially with Lucifer out of the cage now, but whatever happened, I promised myself and I silently promised him that I was going to be there with him, by his side, no matter what happened. A long time ago we had said that we were in this for good. Well, here we were, in it for good.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback~**

"Damn, it's so hot!" I sighed, fanning myself with my hand. The air wasn't working properly and it was yet another Indian summer in South Dakota. Dean had gotten back from a hunt last night so we were having a 'do nothing' day in honor of that. I hadn't been going on a lot of hunts lately to stay home and take care of Jude. He was turning one soon, which was exciting for both Dean and I.

"Babe, did you turn the A/C on?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, the apartment's air apparently isn't working right," I replied, discontent. "I hope Jude is okay."

"Well, as of now, he's fast asleep. I've turned on about as many portable fans as I could in his room," Dean reassured.

"Thank you," I smiled. "I just wish they would fix whatever it is…"

"Well, lucky for you, I've found a way to cool off," Dean smirked.

I shot him a funny look, "What exactly do you have up your sleeve, Dean Winchester?"

"Oh don't worry, baby. We won't be needed any sleeves. Actually, we won't need any clothes at all," Dean replied. Dean took my hand and led me to the bathroom, turning on the shower. He pulled back the shower curtain and then kissed me. He wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me close to him. His kisses were intoxicating and I couldn't get enough. With his other hand, Dean grabbed the shower head and I shot him a funny look.

"Dean, what're you up to?" I asked.

"Nothing, just this," Dean replied, before spraying me with the ice cold water, shooting out of the shower head. I screamed loudly as the cold water was a shock to me.

"Dean!" I yelled. I was now soaked with water and I just glared at him.

"Well, you wouldn't wanted a way to cool down!" he defended himself.

"You're so going to get it," I said, playfully competitive. I ran towards him, attempting to grab the showerhead from him but he held it above me, knowing that he was so much taller than me. "Dean!" I laughed as I struggled against him.

"What was that? Oh, you can't reach?" he teased.

"Shut up!" I said, hitting him playfully.

"Ow!" he exclaimed.

"Uh… you sprayed me with water," I pointed out. I took that moment to grab the showerhead and get my revenge on him.

"Meredith! Damn, that's cold!" Dean shrieked.

"How do you like it now?" I joked.

"Hey!" Dean exclaimed, grabbing my waist and pulling me towards him. The two of us stumbled to the floor, Dean leaning up against the bathtub and me leaning up against him. The two of us exchanged glances and laughter as we just sat there. Dean reached over the tub and turned the water off as the two of us sat there, soaking wet. Dean leaned down and kissed me gently. "How's that for cooling off?"

"Hmm, I liked it," I replied. He let out a hearty laugh and then kissed me again. Sometimes our normal days were the best ones.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback~**

"Alright, well we'll just have to celebrate our two year anniversary when I get back from my trip. I'm so sorry, Ethan, but the company called last minute and it's not really something I can get out of. Ughhh, I really hate this," Molly explained.

"It's alright. Babe, I'm going to be fine, here. It's all going to be okay. Just, take a deep breath. We can celebrate when you get back," Ethan said, attempting to calm his girlfriend down. Molly knew she needed to calm down and took a deep breath. The two of them exchanged glances and laughed a little.

"So you're not going to disown me for leaving on such short notice?" Molly asked.

"No, I know the whole fashion week thing makes people crazy, so I get why you have to leave. Hey, aren't I the one that has to leave every five seconds to do a surgery?" Ethan reminded.

"Yeah, you are," Molly chuckled.

"Exactly. In fact, I actually want to do quite the opposite of disowning you," Ethan started.

"What do you mean?" Molly asked, confused.

"Well," Ethan started, taking Molly's left hand in his. "To commemorate our two year anniversary I thought maybe we could do something like this." Ethan pulled a ring out of his pocket and slid it onto her finger.

Molly gasped, "Ethan, oh my God! What… what does this mean?"

"It's what you want it to mean for now. We can talk about it when you get back or if it's too fast you don't have to take it but in theory, it means that we're engaged," Ethan replied.

"Oh my God! Yes, of course I'll marry you, Ethan!" Molly squealed, jumping into his arms and hugging him. She was amazed at what a cool delivery he had when asking her to marry him. He was just so calm about it all.

"You will?" Ethan asked.

"Yes, baby, yes," Molly smiled, on the verge of tears. She kissed her boyfriend – well now fiancé – before pulling away. "Happy two year anniversary!

"Happy two year anniversary," Ethan smiled back.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback~**

"I hate demons!" Dean exclaimed.

I chuckled, "I know, me too, babe."

"They're just so… ughhh. I can't even say it with Jude around so uh… they're so… bad. There we go. Demons are bad!" Dean exclaimed.

I laughed as Dean tried to control his language around Jude. We were close to celebrating his first birthday and already Jude had started mumbling and making noises so we knew that sooner or later, we'd really have to think about our language.

"Bad? That's… really descriptive Dean," I teased.

"Hey! Our son has already started walking. He'll grab onto the couch and start walking or he'll walk a couple of steps towards me before falling down. Sooner or later he'll be talking!" Dean exclaimed. He then focused his attention on Jude. "Jude, I want you to know that your Mommy and Daddy are going to teach you how to kick a demon's a- butt."

"Demons are bad," I repeated. Jude looked up at us with his beautiful blue eyes and laughed.

"You heard Mommy. Demons are bad," Dean said.

Jude laughed hysterically before yelling out something that resembled the word, "Bad!"

"Bad?" I asked. Dean and I exchanged glances.

"Bad!" Jude exclaimed.

"Oh my God, Dean, he just said 'bad'," I said.

"He just said 'bad'! Look at you, buddy! You're quite an over achiever. You know, I bet all the other babies your age are still trying to walk but look at you already walking and talking!" Dean exclaimed.

"Yes, well Jude does have some pretty cool parents," I joked.

"Yeah, just a little bit," Dean replied.

**~End Flashback~**

**~Flashback~**

"Meredith," Dean started.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Now listen to me. I'm about to go after Sammy. He's already let Lucifer in and I need to go to him," Dean said. My jaw dropped in surprise.

"Alright then, let's go," I said. I wanted to be by his side for this because I knew that it was breaking his heart to have to see his brother like this.

"I can't," Dean said.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"I can't let you come with me," Dean finally said.

"Why not?" I asked, annoyed.

"You could get hurt," Dean said.

"So? I'm a big girl, Dean. I can take care of myself and I've proved that to you!" I exclaimed.

"Because, Sammy is probably going to die okay? Actually, there's no doubt about that. Sam is going to die and I can't let you die either. I need you to stay and take care of Jude. You two are all I have left and… I need to know that I have you to come back to!" Dean argued back. I swallowed. I hadn't seen Dean this emotionally vulnerable lately. I could tell he had been trying to keep it all bottled up but now he was just losing it.

"But what if I can help?" I asked.

Dean shook his head, "Please, Mer. Just do this for me."

"So, you just expect me to sit around and wait for this all to be over?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. This was going to kill me.

"How can you say that?" I asked, in disbelief.

"Because I love you, okay? I can't let you die!" Dean shouted. As much as I wanted to go and help I knew I would get nowhere in arguing with Dean.

"If it's really what you want," I started, reluctantly.  
>"It is," Dean said.<p>

I slowly nodded, "Okay. I'll stay out of it. I think I'll uh, go over to the Falcon with Jude. Meet me there after?"

"Okay," Dean said.

"Dean, what's wrong?" I asked. He had a worried expression his face that I recognized instantly.

"If I don't make it out of there-," he started.

"Don't talk like that, please," I begged. With everything I had, I wished that this wasn't actually happening and that I didn't have to lose someone else.

"Meredith, we have to think like this. This is our fucking job. I'm sorry but somehow we got into this shitty mess and we have to think like this. Now if anything happens to me, please move on. And know that I love you," he said.

"Dean, nothing is going to happen to you," I assured. The assurance was probably for the both of us and as much as I wanted to believe it, I knew that I barely did.

"But if something does-," He said.

"I love you too," I replied, cutting him off. I didn't even want to think about it. He then leaned in and kissed me passionately. I kissed him back. Why did this feel like a goodbye? That's because it could be.

"Be careful okay?" I asked. Every fiber of my being was screaming at me to not let him go but I knew that I had to. I was so afraid that he wouldn't come back but I just had to trust him.

He chuckled, "At a time like this, I'm not sure that's possible." I gave him a look. "Alright I will be." He could tell that this was hard for me too.

"Dean, I don't know if I'm ready for this," I admitted.

"Me either but it's time," he said.

I nodded slowly, "Alright, you should get going then," I said.

"Okay," Dean agreed. We kissed and embraced one last time before Dean set off. It scared the hell out of me and I was even sadder because I never got to say goodbye to Sam. Sam never even got to say goodbye to Jude. It wasn't fair.

To occupy myself and avoid going crazy, I ended up helping out at the café. Jude was sitting on the floor in a space that we designated a play area for him, and was playing with some toys. I did some waitressing in the café, just to keep busy. Blake and Cameron were home from break but neither of them were working so it was just me and Andrea tonight. Blake and Cameron had decided to take a break and talk things over this summer. I hoped that they'd be able to work things out.

"You okay?" Andrea asked.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah. I haven't heard from him yet which worries me a little."

"I know it's hard but you're doing the right thing, staying here with Jude," Andrea reassured.

"Okay," I said. "Hey, I'm going to get table five but it's starting to get late and I should probably head home soon."

"Alright but don't torture yourself, Meredith. Call me if you need anything," Andrea said.

"Okay, I will," I replied. I finished up my work at the café and then headed home with Jude.

"Mama?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, baby?" I asked back, concerned. Jude seemed a little worried and I was starting to wonder if he knew.

"Daddy gone?" he asked.

I nodded, "But only for a little while. He's going to come back."

"Demons bad?" Jude asked.

I chuckled, "Yes, demons are bad, sweetie. Go to bed though. Don't worry about those things right now. How about we talk in the morning though, okay?"

"Okay," Jude replied.

"Goodnight, sweetie," I said, before kissing his forehead and getting off of his bed to turn off the light. I left the nightlight on and cracked the door so that it was barely open.

After I tucked Jude into bed, I went into the living room and turned on the TV. I flipped through the channels and saw the _Whose Line Is It_ _Anyway_ was on. I smiled, as it reminded me of the time when Dean and I watched it together and ended up talking about future children. Well, here we were Dean. We had a beautiful and amazing son. I just hoped he'd be back. I kept watch TV in hopes that it'd distract me, but I couldn't fight the restless feeling. There was no way I was going to sleep.

After a couple more hours, I heard the lock click and the door opened. I practically jumped up off of the couch and saw Dean standing in the doorway. He looked so broken. He had a couple of cuts and scrapes on him and I was actually surprised that it wasn't worse.

"Hi," I said. I was so grateful that he was okay that I ran over to him. "Oh thank God you're here!" I flung myself into Dean's arms and the two of us held each other for a long time. Finally, we pulled away and I looked at him.

Dean smiled weakly. "Are you… alright? Is that even a real question for me to ask? I'm sorry, I just-"

"No, don't be sorry. It's okay," Dean replied. He took a deep breath and took a moment before finally saying it. "He's gone, Mer. He's really gone." I didn't know what to say. I could feel the tears springing to my eyes but I didn't want to get upset. Not right now. I wanted to be strong and I wanted to be there for Dean – not the other way around.

"Oh, Dean. I'm so sorry," I said, pulling him into my arms and letting him break down.

Words couldn't describe how I was feeling right now. I was extremely overjoyed that Dean was okay but there was this hole in my heart that kept growing now that Sam was dead. I couldn't imagine how Dean was feeling.

"Sit down here and I'll clean up your wounds," I ordered and Dean obliged. He sat at the kitchen table and I went over to the kitchen sink and wet a paper towel. I returned to Dean and began to wipe the blood off of him.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine I guess," he replied.

"I miss Sam," I sighed. "You know he loved you very much, Dean. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really," Dean answered, stoically.

"Okay," I said, nodding. Next I had to clean his wounds with rubbing alcohol. "I'll be right back." I went into the bathroom and got the rubbing alcohol from the cabinet and then returned to Dean with more paper towels. "This may hurt a bit." I pressed the towel into his first wound and Dean hissed.

"Ouch," he mumbled.

"Sorry," I said.

"How's Jude?" Dean asked.

"He's asleep right now. He was asking about you," I replied.

"He was?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I think he was a little worried. You know, that kid is a lot smarter than we give him credit for," I said, attempting to bright up the mood just a little.

"Well, he definitely gets that from you – the uh, the smart thing," Dean replied, smiling a little.

I shook my head, "You're a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for."Dean just laughed a little. The next couple of minutes were filled with silence. I wasn't quite sure what to say to Dean and I was also pretty sure that he wouldn't want to talk. When things like this happened, Dean liked to just process it all.

"Hey, I love you, okay? Don't punish yourself for this," I said, breaking the silence.

"I know. I love you too," was all he said back.

The next hour was filled with cleaning up Dean and then just falling asleep with him. I felt safe and secure in his arms but when I knew he was asleep I climbed out of bed and went into the bathroom. I closed the door and then sat down and cried. I didn't want Dean to see because I knew that he was hurting, just as much and probably more, than I was and I didn't want to upset him.

"Sammy, I miss you. I love you," I whispered. Of course there was no reply._ I hope you can hear me_, I thought.

I knew he couldn't hear me but just in case he could, I wanted him to know. Sam was in Hell now and I wanted more than anything to bring him back but Sam had made Dean and I both promise that we wouldn't try that – that we'd go on living the apple pie life and be happy. I cried again for Sam. Sam always wanted to best for everyone around him. Sam was an amazing person. I missed him so much.

**~End Flashback~**

"Hey, you coming to bed?" I asked. Dean looked up at me from the spot he was staring at on the kitchen table.

"Yeah, in a second," he replied.

He cleared his throat and began to screw the top back onto his bottle of scotch. I took his empty glass off of the table and put it into the sink. It had only been a week since Sam's death and Dean had taken it pretty hard. All week he barely said anything. Jude could tell that something was wrong and was really trying to help his father. Dean appreciated the efforts, but I knew that none of them were working. All we could do now was support him – even if that meant not complaining when he wanted to drink.

"Okay," I said. I went back into the bedroom and several minutes later, Dean joined me. He got into bed and lay next to me. I just lay there. I didn't want to cross any lines with him. I lay on my side and closed my eyes, wishing I could take away his pain. I felt Dean drape an arm around my waist and I rubbed his forearm comfortingly.

"I love you, Mer," Dean said.

"I love you too, Dean. Goodnight," I said back.


	2. Better

**Dean: Hey**

**Meredith: Hey, what're you up to?**

**Dean: Lunch break. I ran out but I'll be back at the garage by one. How's school?**

**Meredith: School is good. It's good to be back teaching. How's the garage?**

**Dean: Fine, I guess. Meet me after school?**

**Meredith: Uh… yeah… see you at home?**

**Dean: 1352 Sycamore Court Sioux Falls, SD. Meet me here?**

**Meredith: Where exactly is 'here'?**

**Dean: It's a surprise.**

**Meredith: Dean…**

**Dean: I promise you'll like it ;)**

**Meredith: What about Jude?**

**Dean: Don't worry. I'm picking him up and Ethan and Molly volunteered to babysit. I've got it all covered, Mer.**

**Meredith: What do you have up your sleeve, Mr?**

**Dean: ;)**

After school got out, I drove to the strange address that Dean had texted to me. I had a general idea where it was since the address was on a street that I was vaguely familiar with, but I figured it wouldn't be terrible to mapquest it. After I was done with grading a couple of papers, I scribbled down the directions and drove off. I observed the surroundings. Right after we passed through downtown, it became more and more quaint. It was pretty. There were neighborhoods built of older houses. Wait… houses. Why were we at houses?

I pulled the car up to the side of the house that the address was. Why the hell would Dean send me to a house? I saw the Impala pulled up to the curb as well but no Dean. I checked the address one more time and this was it. It was our wedding anniversary so at first I thought we were going out but I honestly couldn't tell. In Dean's condition, I wasn't even quite sure he was up for celebrating our anniversary and I understood that. But this was a little weird… I got out of the car and just as I got out the car, the door opened and Dean came out of the house.

"So what do you think?" Dean asked.

"About what?" I asked.

"About the house, silly," Dean replied.

I took a moment to really take in the house. It was a yellow two story house with a wraparound porch all the way from the front to the sides. The front door was painted black while the windows were painted white. The glasses in the windows were clear and there were other doors on the side of the house where the wraparound porch came.

"It's beautiful, Dean. Why?" I asked.

"Well, it's ours," Dean replied.

My jaw dropped, "Wait, what?" I asked, in shock.

"Bought it today during lunch when I texted you! I had just signed the documents," Dean replied, proudly.

"But, Dean… how? I mean, can we even afford this?" I asked.

"I thought you'd ask that. Yes, we can. Look, I went to the bank in July to find out and I even asked Bobby and Andrea about it. We figured out that we could afford it and that taking out a loan wouldn't drive us into the ground and it is doable. Andrea kind of helped me more on the loan thing. She figured out what we'd have to pay each month and well, we have enough, Mer."

I chuckled, "Dean, I don't even know what to say."

"Say 'yes'. Just… say yes you love the house and that we'll move in this weekend," Dean said.

I was still in shock at what Dean had done, "Yes! Yes, let's move in this weekend!"

Dean smiled, "How about I show you around?"

"Sounds great," I replied. Dean took my hand and then led me up the few stairs before the porch, before going into the house. Dean opened the door and then I looked around.

We found ourselves in a hallway with brown, wooden floors. The first room that the front door lead right into was the den. There were windows all around, leaving the room lit by the sun. Behind it, was the living room space and behind that was the kitchen.

"And this is the master bedroom," Dean said, showing me the bed room that was located right before the staircase. I peered into the room. There were two windows and a bathroom. It was a nice sized room. In the hallway that led right to the living room, part of it was taken up by a stair case that led up to the second floor.

"Shall we?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied. Dean led me upstairs and I just marveled at everything. It was a beautiful, gorgeous house. "Wow, Dean. This is really something."

"Just wait," he said. We got to the top of the stairs and the floor was split on either side of the stairs. There were four rooms and a bathroom at the top of the stairs. Dean and I explored the house together, just taking it all in. It was breathtaking. Once we finally got back down to the first floor I took a deep breath.

"Are you sure we can afford all of this?" I asked, anxiously.

"Yes. I told you, babe. I talked to Andrea and Bobby about it and they helped me out with all of it," Dean replied.

I sighed, "It's amazing, really, it is."

"I'm glad you like it," he smiled.

"But Dean, and I don't want you take this the wrong way but… why now? What is all of this? You've kind of been pretty down lately and I figured that you probably wouldn't want to be up for all of this… I mean, moving is a big change and… I don't know, I'm sorry. It's stupid," I rambled.

"No, no, it's okay. I know that I haven't exactly been great these past few months but uh, I want to change. I want to do this… us, this whole family apple pie thing. I know that this is what Sammy wanted for us and it's something I want to. I want to be better for you and Jude," Dean explained.

I shook my head, "Dean, I know you've been pretty down but it's understandable. I don't blame you at all and you're not being a bad father or husband at all! You've been amazing, especially under the circumstances. Believe me, this is the last I think expected."

I nodded, just processing it all, "Alright, well, then, I guess we own a house!" I chuckled a little towards the end, relieved.

"Happy anniversary, baby," Dean smiled, leaning down to kiss me.

"Happy anniversary," I said back, kissing him.

It was a new start for both Dean and I. We were both going to finally do this whole real, normal, apple pie life thing. It was exciting but at the same time, scary. What if we couldn't do it? What if we got restless? What if Dean and I realized that we were bad at the whole apple pie marriage thing? But I pushed the thoughts away because I had a feeling that only goods things were to come.

* * *

><p>"Well, that should be the last of it," Dean said as the two of us watched the moving trucks drive away. We were left with boxes of stuff from the apartment that we were moving into the new house. The movers had helped with the heavier things like bookcases, beds, and dressers, but we were now left with all of the stuff to unpack. It was exciting!<p>

"I guess so. Well, here we go," I said. The two of us walked into the house. Bobby was watching over Jude while we were going to get the house ready. We had decided not to paint the house or anything yet, but just get everything situated.

Dean and I put all the boxes labeled 'attic' in the attic first, and then began to unpack everything else. We started with the kitchen, then the living room, and then moved to the master bedroom. We went through the boxes.

"Can you hand me those boxes of books?" I asked Dean. He set the box of books down on the bed near me and I began to organize them on the bookshelf in our bedroom. "Thank you, baby."

"Remind me why I let you convince me to put a bookcase in our bedroom again?" Dean asked.

I giggled, "Because I love books and I'm an English teacher and it would look great in the room!"

"I don't read," Dean grumbled.

"Maybe we should change that," I hinted.

"I don't think so. I'd much rather do something else with my time. Something worthwhile," Dean said, wrapping his arms around my waist. I stopped shelving my books as he began to kiss my neck.

I laughed at his unwillingness to read and turned around, wrapping my arms around his neck, "Alright well uh, let's just say… you start with The Great Gatsby and uh, tonight you and I can spend all night in our room… not sleeping."

"Are you bribing me with sex?" Dean asked, almost surprised.

"You bet. You know, one book, one night. It's a win-win situation," I propositioned.

"Maybe," Dean replied. I shook my head and Dean pecked me on the lips once before finally letting me go. I returned to my book shelving.

"Babe, do you really alphabetize your books by author?" Dean asked.

"Mhm," I replied.

"You are crazy," Dean mumbled.

"Um, just because I like a little bit of order does not mean I'm crazy!" I exclaimed.

"You are," Dean said, kissing me on the cheek. "I'm going to go get another box from the living room. I'll be back." I continued to finish my books. We had agreed to save the last two shelves for our records and so after I finished my books up, I started on the records.

"Hey babe, I got the rest of the stuff. I think some of our records are in here too," Dean said, setting down three more boxes.

"You know the whole heavy lifting thing is kind of a turn on," I smirked.

"Oh yeah? So maybe I won't have to read those books after all," Dean replied. I laughed a little and moved over to the boxes on the floor, going through them.

"Hey, I forgot about this!" I exclaimed as I sat on the floor and took out my composition notebooks from high school.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just the diaries I used to keep back in high school," I replied, flipping through them and smiling. I had filled pages upon pages with words about junior and senior year. God, I had really been in love with Dean then.

"Woah, let me see!" Dean smirked, making a move towards me.

"Uh uh," I replied, shutting the composition book.

"Why not?" Dean whined.

"Because I wrote private things in them!" I replied, rolling my eyes playfully.

"We have no secrets in marriages," Dean said back. "You were the one that wanted me to read more!"

"Yeah, okay but not my diaries! They're embarrassing, Dean. Please don't," I begged. He reached for the journal and held it away from him. He reached even further, causing me to fall over on the ground, him on top of me.

"Hey there," Dean smirked, looking at me.

"Hi," I said back. I kissed Dean long and passionately. His hands moved down my torso to my hips as he kissed me back. He licked my bottom lip and our tongues moved against each other in perfect rhythm as the two of us continued our make out. I ran my fingers through Dean's hair as he pulled me even closer to him. "So much for those diaries, huh?"

"Yeah, if this is going where I think it's going, I don't even care about the diaries anymore," Dean moaned.

"Good. They're not important," I replied. Yes, they were memories, but we were here and now and we were beginning our new life. The past was in the past.

* * *

><p>By the next weekend, we were finally moved in and everything was ready to go. We finally owned a house. It had always been a dream of mine but now it was real.<p>

"Jude and I are going to go over to the café. Meet me there?" I asked. Dean was still in bed and I was ready for the day already. I was literally just about to the leave.

"Mm, okay," Dean mumbled, sleepily.

"I'm helping Molly plan her wedding so you may hate that but Ethan will be there so you guys can talk or something," I said, making sure I had everything I needed in my purse.

"Mm, on second thought I'll stay asleep," Dean replied.

"Andrea made apple pie," I persuaded.

"Okay, I'll be up in a second," Dean said.

I giggled, "Alright, I love you Dean. See you then." I kissed his cheek as he lay on the bed and then left the apartment. I picked Jude up out of his crib and the two of us went over to the Falcon together.

"Hi," I said, as soon as I saw Molly.

"Hey!" she smiled, seeing me. She came over to me and gave me a small hug around Jude. "And there's my favorite little nephew!"

I chuckled, "Can you say hi to Aunt Molly?" Jude smiled widely before nestling against my shoulder out of shyness.

"Hey, you know Aunt Molly! Why are you getting shy, sweetie?" I asked. Jude looked back over at Molly and smiled again laughing this time.

"Hi," he said, waving and then looking away and laughing.

"Do you want to hold him?" I asked.

"Sure," Molly replied. I handed Jude over to Molly and she carried him back to the table where we were sitting. I went over to the counter to say hi to Andrea.

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning to you too. Where's Dean? I almost didn't recognize you without him attached to your hip," Andrea asked back.

"Asleep… well he'll be coming soon. I told him that you made apple pie," I replied.

"That boy always has loved apple pie," Andrea chuckled.

"Hm, and his son is following in his footsteps which brings me to what I needed to ask you. Can we get an order of apple pie?" I asked.

"Coming right up. How are you?" she asked back.

"I'm great. We're both exhausted from the move but it's been amazing. How are you?" I answered.

"Good. We're getting ready to do our annual open mic night soon. Any chance you'll play?" Andrea asked.

I shook my head, "I highly doubt it, but thank you."

"Alright, alright. I'll have your apple pie in a moment," Andrea said back.

"Okay," I said, before returning to Molly's table. There, Molly sat with Jude on her lap. She was making funny faces at him like most people did in the presence of children.

"Hey, guys," I said.

"Hey. Jude says that he wants to spend all the time when his Aunt Molly. Yes he does, doesn't he?" she said, asking the question to Jude.

Jude smiled, "Mama, Aunt Molly and Uncle Ethan come dinner?"

"Of course, sweetie. They can come over for dinner tomorrow," I answered. "But guess what, kiddo. Your daddy is going to come over here soon and we're going to have pie."

"Pie!" Jude echoed, excitedly.

"He really is Dean's kid," Molly laughed.

"Yeah, I craved pie my whole pregnancy. I don't even like pie that much!" I replied.

"You did, it's true," Molly chuckled.

"Alright, Missy. Let's see those wedding plans. Hey, Jude. Do you want to come sit over here so that your Aunt Molly can show me her wedding plans?" I asked.

"Wedding?" Jude asked.

"Yeah. Your Uncle Ethan and I are going to get married soon, just like your mommy and daddy," Molly answered.

"Yay!" Jude smiled.

"Why don't you go over and say hi to your mommy. Where is she? There she is. Go find her!" Molly said, setting Jude down.

"Come to Mommy," I smiled, opening my arms out a little. Jude waddled over towards me and I picked him up, putting him in my lap. I bounced him up and down a couple of times while Molly got her wedding plans from her purse. She set the notebook on the table and opened it up before flipping through the first couple of pages.

"You have a notebook?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know I like to cut things out from magazines. I need somewhere to put them!" Molly defended playfully. I laughed.

"Alright, alright. Tell me what you have," I said.

"Alright well we're going to have the reception at the Falcon but are doing the wedding in a church. Um… oh! Is it completely weird that I'm designing my own dress?" Molly asked.

"Not at all! You're a fashion designer, silly," I replied, laughing a little.

"Okay good. I was afraid it was a little self indulgent," Molly said back.

"No, you're fine," I said.

"And how's my ring bearer doing? You sleep well, buddy?" Molly asked Jude.

"Yes! Aunt Molly, how about you?" Jude asked back.

"Pretty good," she replied.

"He's so cute. I don't think I'm ever going to get over him," Molly smiled, making a couple of faces at Jude. I laughed.

"Yeah, Dean and I are lucky," I smiled.

"Here's your apple pie," Andrea said. "Well hello there Jude."

"Grandma!" Jude exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as soon as he saw Andrea. She placed down the plate of pie and then took Jude in her arms. Andrea gave him a kiss on his cheek and he smiled and giggled, bashfully.

"Wow he's getting bigger," Andrea marveled. "He's getting harder to hold every day. Kiddo, you shot up over night! You're going to be like your uncle Sammy about seven feet tall!"

"I can be like Uncle Sammy?" Jude asked.

"Yes, sir," Andrea replied.

"Grandma, can I have pie now?" Jude asked, sweet and innocently.

Andrea chuckled, "Of course, kiddo. I'll give you back to your mom and you two can have your pie. Geez, he really does take after Dean in that regard."

"Mhm. The next thing he'll want is bacon cheese burgers for breakfast," Molly added.

"Oh, let's not even go there," I groaned.

"Alright, enjoy," Andrea said, before leaving.

"Okay, sweetie, are you ready for some pie?" I asked.

"Pie!" Jude exclaimed. I handed him one of his smaller plastic, colorful forks and he took it, then put it back on the table. "I want to use big boy fork!"

Molly and I exchanged glances and laughed, "Alright, alright you can have a big boy fork."

"Thanks, mama," Jude said, taking the fork. He clumsily stuck the fork into the apple pie and took a big bite.

"Slow down, kiddo. You're going to town on that pie," Molly warned, teasingly.

"He really does take after Dean in this regard," I chuckled.

"What about me?" I heard a voice said. I turned around to see Dean coming towards the booth that we were sitting at.

"Hi," I said, smiling as soon as I saw Dean. He slid into the booth next to Molly because Jude and I were sitting on one side together.

"Hey. Oh, sweet! Pie! Nice buddy!" Dean exclaimed, offering out his fist for a fist bump with his son. Jude stared at his father's fist and then hit his fist against Dean's. I giggled and Molly laughed, looking at my surprised.

"I can't believe you taught him that!" Molly exclaimed, laughing.

"I'm still not over it," I sighed.

"It's so cute!" Molly said.

"He's just like his daddy. Hey buddy, can I have some of that pie of yours?" Dean asked.

"No. All for me and Mommy!" Jude exclaimed, cackling with laughter after he said those words.

"All for you and Mommy? You are silly goose!" Dean asked, over exaggeratedly surprised.

"I'm not a goose!" Jude exclaimed.

"Yes, you are! You are a silly, silly goose!" Dean replied. I giggled at Dean's childish interaction with our son.

"You heard him, Dean. Get your own pie," I teased.

"Alright, alright, I'll go get my own piece of pie. But you better share with your old man next time. What is this ganging up on me with your mom?" Dean asked. Jude just laughed in response and his against my arm. Dean got out of the booth to go talk to Andrea about his pie. He leaned over Jude and kissed me quickly. "I'm going to get some pie. I'll be right back."

"Okay," I said, kissing him once more before he left to go get pie.

"You guys are so sweet," Molly smiled. "It's hilarious the lengths that Dean will go to to entertain Jude. He's a great father."

"Thank you and yeah, he is a great father. Don't you think Daddy is the best?" I asked Jude. Just nodded and smiled.

"But he doesn't get our pie!" Jude declared.

I laughed, "No he does not." I returned my attention to Molly though. "It's… uh, it's been a little hectic with the move and everything but it's all worth it. We're finally all moved in. Do you and Ethan want to come over for dinner soon?" I asked.

"We'd love it," Molly said.

"Where is he, by the way?" I asked.

"He's asleep. He had a really late shift last night and I figured he probably wanted to skip out on listening to wedding plans. I'm surprised Dean decided to come along," Molly observed.

I shook my head, "I promised him pie."

Molly laughed and shook her head, "Figures."


	3. What Happens When Dean Thinks Too Much

I glanced at the clock and sighed. School was over, "Alright, well that's all we have for today. Please read to page 110 tonight and then tomorrow we'll pick up our discussion where we left off. Have a great rest of your day, guys." I heard the scramble of students fumbling to put all of their stuff in their book bags and leave. The last period of the day was always a little restless. They couldn't wait to get out of school. Just then, I heard the door opening and some gasps and whispers. I looked up and smiled as soon as I saw Dean and Jude, coming through the door.

"Hi," I said, happily.

"Hey, who's that? Can you go say hi to your mom?" Dean said, encouraging Jude. Jude smiled and walked towards me as I held my arms out. He walked quickly towards me and I picked him up.

"Hey, buddy! What're you two doing here?" I asked, and then looked at Dean. "Hi, you." Dean leaned in and kissed me once. I watched as my students began filing out of the classroom. The sounds of talking began to fill the hallway as more and more people were there.

"We came to surprise you," Dean replied simply.

"Well it's a lovely surprise. Thank you," I said. I smiled at Jude and then back at Dean. Dean had the day off so he had stayed home with Jude instead of Jude's regular visit with Andrea or Bobby. We were so glad for them because they usually watched over the kids during the week.

"Mama, guess what I did today with Daddy?" he asked me, excited to tell me.

"What?" I asked back.

"Daddy and I watched some television, and then we went for a walk in the park, and then went back home and took naps, and then we played a game, and then we played with some chalk!" Jude declared, happily.

I giggled, "Oh you did, did you? And I see that you're wearing your leather jacket. Did your daddy put you up to that?"

"No, I wanted to wear it all by myself," Jude announced, proudly. I exchanged glances with Dean.

Dean shrugged, "He's a man after my own heart. I told you he'd have good taste when he grew up!"

"What are you teaching this kid?" I exclaimed, playfully.

"Nothing bad, I promise," Dean reassured.

"Hm," I sounded, unconvinced.

"Hey, Mrs. Winchester, can we talk to you about something?" a voice asked. Just then, a group of three girls came up to Dean, Jude, and I. They smiled as soon as began to interact with Jude a little.

"Yeah, sure. Do you need to talk alone or-" I started.

"Oh no, it's okay," Veronica, the first girl, replied.

"Okay so we're in charge of planning the homecoming dance, right? So it's next Saturday and we're supposed to ask teachers to chaperone and we all agreed that it'd be really cool if you chaperoned. Please, you're like one of the only cool teachers here that won't be really weird," Ashley, the second girl asked.

I chuckled a little, "Um… it's next Saturday?"

"Yes. Please do it, Mrs. Winchester. You can even bring your husband," the third girl, Taylor added.

Dean shrugged, "It doesn't sound like such a bad idea."

I looked over at him, "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"No. Why not? Let's do it," Dean said.

I smiled a little, "Okay." I turned back to the girls. "Yeah, okay, we'll do it. Just let me know what the times are and everything and will be there."

"Yes! Okay, you're the best, Mrs. Winchester. Thank you so much," Veronica said. The other girls said goodbye before leaving the classroom.

"Mama, what is homecoming?" Jude asked, curiously.

"It's a big event during high school that you can go to. It starts with a very important football game and then you have a dance the day after to celebrate," I replied.

"But what if you don't win?" Jude asked.

"Hm, well, it's to celebrate that you tried, ok buddy?" Dean suggested.

"Okay. Can I go?" Jude asked.

"When you get to high school," I replied, laughing a little.

"And stay away from guys named Stephen Albright!" Dean warned. I gave Dean a funny look and that burst into laughter. "What? High school… things happen, babe. It did with us." He smirked.

"Ignore your father, Jude. He's just being silly. Why don't the three of us head home and then we'll go to Bobby's for dinner later? He called and asked us over. Do you remember that? You picked up the phone," I asked Jude.

"Yeah! We can go to Uncle Bobby's tonight?" Jude asked.

"Yes," Dean replied. I put Jude down and went to the back of my classroom and sat right down at the book shelf, marveling at the amount of books that I had.

Dean chuckled, "You know, he loves pie, leather jackets and Led Zeppelin but yet we can never tear him away from the books. It looks like he got those genes from you."

"I guess so," I replied.

"Hey, Mer, you're not bothered by the homecoming thing right? I mean, I didn't force you into it?" Dean asked, curiously.

"No, not at all. If you hadn't been here, I probably would've said yes anyway and then dragged you to it," I admitted. Dean smiled.

"Actually, speaking of homecoming, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Dean started.

"Okay, shoot," I said back.

"I got a call from the school earlier and that's originally why we came over here. Apparently the assistant coach to the football team quit and they're looking for a replacement. One of the teachers brought up the fact that I used to play here and so they called me… and I took the job," Dean replied.

"Really? Wow. Okay, congratulations," I said back, a little shocked.

"I hope that's okay," Dean said.

"No, it's great! But are you sure it'll be okay with the garage and everything?" I asked.

"Yeah, I talked to them they said it'd be fine. For now, it's just until homecoming but if it works out, then I may keep it," Dean replied.

I smiled, "I'm happy, babe. That's great!"

"Thanks," Dean said back. "Hey, you wanna get out of here?"

"Sure," I replied, chuckling a little. "Jude, we're going to leave now, okay?"

"Aww," Jude said, standing up. "Time to go?"

"Yes, time to go, sweetie. But hey, at home we can do some painting. Do you want to do that?" I offered.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he ran towards Dean and I so that we could leave.

* * *

><p>"Damn it, we're out. I think I've got a couple more beers down in the fridge in the salvage yard. Dean, can you go get 'em?" Bobby asked.<p>

"Yeah, Bobby," Dean replied, before getting up and leaving. I had Jude on my lap and he played with a couple of cheerios on the table. We had finished up dinner and were just sitting around and talking. That was when Bobby suggested we bring out some beers and realized that he was out.

"Where Daddy go?" Jude asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"He just went out to get some drinks. Why don't you go say hi to your Grandpa Bobby?" I asked. I put him down and Jude went over to Bobby. Bobby smiled as he picked up Jude and put him on his lap.

"You know, I'm still not used to this whole "grandpa" thing yet. Hey kiddo," Bobby said, smiling at Jude. I always found it incredibly entertaining that Bobby really was a kid person. Then again, Dean was an amazing father but by first glance, one would never come to that conclusion.

"Read more today!" Jude cheered.

"I don't know… your mom is here. I thought we said that was going to be a secret," Bobby replied. I gave him a funny look.

"No, read more!" Jude encouraged.

"What exactly were you reading to him, Bobby?" I asked, suspiciously.

Bobby sighed, "Well, he got into some of my demon books and he really liked the pictures… what was I supposed to do?"

"Bobby!" I exclaimed.

"I didn't know what else to do," Bobby shrugged.

I sighed, "Dean and I kind of wanted to wait on that stuff but I guess now that he's seen it… you know his first word was 'demon' followed by 'bad'?"

"Yes, this kid is a born hunter," Bobby chuckled.

"Yeah," I murmured uneasily.

I hated the fact that Jude one day could be a hunter but at the same time Dean and I both agreed that he was better off knowing and being able to defend himself. Neither of us wanted that life for him but we hoped that he'd never have to actually use that hunting knowledge. But in a time like this, it would be stupid not to teach him about it. A good ten minutes passed by and I was starting to get worried.

"How long does it take to get a couple of beers?" I asked, glancing around.

"He has been taking a little bit longer than I thought," Bobby started.

"You don't think we should be worried, right?" I asked Bobby.

"I don't know," Bobby replied, uneasily.

I nodded, "You know what, I'm going to go check on him. I'll be back." I got up from the table and started to go.

"Mama, where you go?" Jude asked.

"I'm just going to go check on Daddy, okay? I'll be right back. I promise," I said. He nodded but I could tell that Jude knew something was up. I went out into the salvage yard and there was no Dean. "Dean! Dean!" I kept searching until I came across a smokeless fire that was left over on the ground.

"Shit," I mumbled. "Djinn." I hurried back into the house in a panic.

"Meredith, are you okay?" Bobby asked, as soon as he saw how feverish I was.

"I think a djinn got him, Bobby," I replied, a mess.

**~3****rd****Person POV~**

As Dean walked outside to get the beers, he started thinking about Bobby's cluttered living room. There was still so much demon stuff and he felt weird that he and Meredith just let Jude around it all the time. Hell, Jude's first word was 'demon'. Dean knew it was for Jude's own good but he hated the fact that Jude had to know about demons from such a young age. He started to wonder what it was like if Meredith had never been hurt by demons and had lived a normal life. It would be better for both Jude and Meredith but then again, without Dean there would be no Jude, right? Dean hated himself. Would Meredith be living this happy normal life without him?

Dean reached for a beer but quickly turned around. He could feel that something was behind him but when he turned around, there was nothing there. He turned back to the refrigerator and then minute he did, he regretted it. He felt hands on his neck. Whatever it was turned him around and his eyes widened as soon as he saw the djinn. Dean threw a punch but the djinn had too tight a grip on his neck. Dean struggled against it but the djinn pressed its hand against Dean's forehead and Dean could feel himself slipping into darkness.

"I'm so sorry!" a woman exclaimed as Dean felt himself collide with her.

"No, it wasn't your fault at all," Dean replied. He took one good look at her and his eyes widened. "Meredith?"

"Um, yeah, do we know each other?" she asked back.

"Um… no, lucky guess," Dean replied. Dean looked around. He was in an airport.

"Okay, well uh, sorry for uh, bumping into you," she said, a little weirded out as she began to walk away.

"Wait," Dean said. What the hell was going on? Meredith turned around and looked him, still unsure of who this guy really was and why he knew her name. Sure, he was handsome, but that still a little weird. "Where am I?"

"You're in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I'm sorry, is there a cab that you want me to call? Are you… okay?" Meredith asked back.

"No, I'm fine, thanks," Dean said, before parting ways.

"Take care," Meredith replied. _Weirdest day ever,_she thought to herself. Her cell phone began to ring and she looked at the caller ID. "Brant, hi, yeah, I'll be at baggage claim in a minute. Yes. It's great to hear you voice too, baby. I love you too. Alright, bye."

* * *

><p>Dean watched as Meredith got into the car with some other man, a pang of jealousy stinging him. He took the car that he had hotwired and followed them. Dean wasn't sure what the hell was going on. He was in Michigan, his own wife didn't know him, and she was with some other guy. And that's when it hit him. He was thinking about what Meredith's life would've been like if demons had never hurt her, and he had never come into it. Dean knew that he could kill himself and get out of the djinn's spell but he was too damn curious about what Meredith's life was like without him. Was he the one holding her back?<p>

Dean drove around town until the car in front of him pulled into a driveway. Dean made a note to remember where it was and then kept driving until he came across a garage called "Summers Auto". Did Caleb Summers have a garage in this world? Oh my God… Meredith's parents were alive… Dean had to see for himself. He parked in the parking lot and went in. The sounds of "Fool in the Rain" by Led Zeppelin sounded throughout the garage as he walked into the open space. A man walked towards Dean holding a wrench in his hands.

"I'm looking for Caleb Summers," Dean said.

"Who's asking?" the man asked back, defensively.

"I'm Dean. Dean Winchester. I'm uh… applying for a job if you need it," Dean said. It was the first thing that came to his mind and he couldn't help it.

"Yeah, uh, you worked before?" the man asked back.

"Yeah, in my… my dad taught me and uh, my Uncle's salvage yard," Dean replied.

The man nodded slowly, "Caleb Summers. Why don't you come in and we'll see what you can do."

"Sounds good," Dean said. He was unsure as to what he was doing, but he was doing it. Caleb asked him to make several different repairs which Dean did instantly.

"Alright, I'm done," Dean said, once he had finished up the last one.

Caleb chuckled, "You know, you're not too bad, kid. Can you start tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Dean said, smiling a little.

"Great. You just come to town? I know all the mechanics in town and I've never seen you around," Caleb asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Alright, well I'm about to close up. I'll see you tomorrow. Actually, you seem like a good kid. My daughter is home from a job and she's been gone for a while. Come join us for dinner," Caleb suggested.

"A job? What kind of job?" dean asked curiously.

"She's a teacher. She was away teaching English in Spain but she's back now," Caleb replied.

"Ah, okay. Well, uh, why not? Sure," Dean agreed.

"Great," Caleb said, shaking Dean's hand.

Dean followed Caleb back to the house. What was Meredith going to think when he saw her at the house? Dean got out of the car and joined Caleb in walked up the driveway and into the house.

"Caleb, you're home. Go wash up and we'll start dinner in a moment," a voice said. A woman walked right up to Caleb, kissed him and then smiled.

"Alright, honey," Caleb replied.

"How was work?" the woman asked.

"Great. I just got a new employee actually. Hun, this is Dean, he's the new mechanic. Dean, this is my wife Adrianna," Caleb introduced.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you," Dean said, shaking the woman's hand. Dean was amazed to meet Meredith's mother. She looked just like Meredith. He had never seen Caleb this way. He was so happy and easy going.

"You too. Honey, you didn't tell me we had dinner guests," Adrianna said.

"Sorry, forgot to call," Caleb replied.

"It's alright, I'll just have to set out another place mat. Our daughter should be down in a minute," Adrianna said back.

"Okay," Dean mumbled. He looked around. Wow, was this life apple pie. If demons hadn't been in her life, she would've had this. She and Dean wouldn't have met. It killed him…

"Hey, Mom have you seen my- oh, hi," Meredith said, coming downstairs and looking surprised as soon as she saw Dean.

"I'm Dean Winchester. I'm the new mechanic at your dad's garage," Dean replied.

"Gotcha," Meredith replied.

"Honey, what were you looking for?" Adrianna asked.

"Nothing, just my hair brush but I'm fine," Meredith replied.

"I'm going to wash up. I'll be back," Caleb said.

"And I should go put out the fourth placemat," Adrianna added, leaving Dean and Meredith alone.

"You feeling any better?" Meredith asked, giggling a little.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you remembered," Dean replied.

"Yeah the crazy drunk guy that bumped into me today? How could I forget?" Meredith teased.

Dean chuckled, "Okay, I wasn't drunk, I was just… uh… jet lagged."

"Oh yeah? Where from?" Meredith asked, curiously.

"California. Not as bad as you must be. Your father told me about the whole Spain thing," Dean said, quickly explaining why he knew more about Meredith than he should.

Meredith chuckled, "It's good you said that. I was beginning to think you were stalking me."

Dean laughed too, "You're funny."

"Thanks… I guess," Meredith replied, awkwardly. "So your working for my dad now?"

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Well, welcome to the family. I only say this because Dad loves his employees. He's always bringing people for dinner, inviting them to family parties, he's a community guy," Meredith said.

"So I guess we'll be seeing a lot more of each other, huh?" Dean suggested, smirking a little.

"I guess so," Meredith replied.

"Why don't you two come sit down? Meredith, you know it's really a shame that Brant couldn't come over tonight," Adrianna said.

"Who is Brant?" Dean asked, trying not to sound too eager.

"Meredith's fiancé. He's a surgeon at the hospital and he was on call tonight. It's a shame but he did pick her up at the airport," Adrianna replied. Ah, so that was the guy at the airport. It was her fiancé. Mer, was going to get married to that guy?

"Um, yeah. Why don't we all go sit down though," Meredith suggested, trying to avoid the topic.

"Sounds good to me," Dean mumbled. He was equally relieved that they didn't have to talk about Meredith's fiancé any longer. Even if they were in a fake world, it killed him to think that there was someone else.

"So Dean, what brings you to Ann Arbor?" Caleb asked as they were halfway through dinner.

"My brother just passed away and I uh, needed a fresh start. Ann Arbor seemed like a great place to begin one," Dean replied.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Adrianna said.

"It's fine, thanks," Dean replied, swallowing. "I'm fixing up my car now though."

"What kind of car?" Caleb asked.

"'67 Chevy Impala," Dean replied.

Meredith smiled as she watched her father's approval growing for this guy, "That's a good car. Bring it in to the shop. I'll help you out."

"Yeah, okay," Dean said back.

"So Meredith, we want to hear all about Spain," Adrianna started.

"Oh, no, we have a guest over. I don't want to bore him," Meredith started.

"No, go ahead. I've never been to Spain so I'd love to hear about it," Dean said.

"Okay," Meredith replied, a little surprised. Meredith dived into her tales of Spain and how great it was and Dean listened closely. Meredith would've had this opportunity if demons hadn't hurt her family. Without the demons, they would've never met. He was really starting to get nervous.

By the end of dinner, Dean helped Adrianna clean up and Caleb had invited Dean over again. Meredith was shocked at how much her parents liked Dean. She barely knew him but she liked him. He seemed really great. He was funny and handsome but she was engaged and knew she couldn't go there. It felt strange to her though. Tonight's dinner was almost a 'bring home the boyfriend' kind of dinner.

"Hey, I've got to get going. I promised Rachel that I'd be there on time," Meredith started.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked.

"Oh Meredith's friend Rachel is engaged and they're having a celebration outing. You know what, Mer, you should bring Dean and introduce him to your friends. It seems like he'll be sticking around for a while," Adrianna suggested.

"You don't have to," Dean added.

"No, actually, Dean why don't you come along," Meredith agreed. Her family did really like him and maybe it'd be a chance to get to know each other better.

"Okay," Dean replied, trying not to act like he was happier than ever.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Alternate universe! Let's see if Dean will stop blaming himself!<p> 


	4. Meant to Be

**~3rd Person POV~**

Dean and Meredith arrived at a club in downtown Ann Arbor called The Ark. It was a small bar where there was always live music. Tonight, Meredith was supposed to meet her friend Rachel and a couple of other friends for drinks and for the concert to celebrate Rachel's engagement.

"So what is this band again?" Dean asked.

"The Killers… have you never heard of them?" Meredith asked back, as if saying 'what rock do you live under?'

"Um, not really. I'm more of a-," Dean started.

"Classic rock kind of guy?" she offered up. Dean stopped and looked at Meredith.

"Yeah, how'd you know?" he asked, bewildered.

"Lucky guess," she shrugged. "You guessed my name. I guessed your taste in music. It's also not that hard to tell; the leather jacket, the boots, you've kind of got it all going for you.

"What? Are you saying I'm predictable?" Dean challenged, playfully.

"No! I was just saying that you look the type," she replied. The two walked into the club, surrounded by the loud music and then loud chatter of the people already in the bar. Meredith couldn't fight this feeling and it was bothering her. She had this whole warm, fuzzy, nervous feeling that people usually got on first dates. She already was uncomfortably attracted to the flirty banter that she and Dean had going on and this wasn't making it any better.

"Yeah, alright. I guess I'll take that as a compliment," Dean shrugged.

"You should. You know, I used to have a huge thing for classic rockers. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant's music alone was just enough to make me say yes to any kind of marriage proposal of theirs," Meredith replied.

"Should've known you'd be a Led Zeppelin fan," Dean chuckled, making eyes at Meredith. He couldn't help himself. In his world, this was his wife.

"What, another lucky guess?" Meredith asked.

"You could call it that," Dean replied.

Meredith nodded, "Hey, do you want a drink? After that family dinner, I know I could definitely use one."

"Sure," Dean said, as Meredith led him over to the bar. Meredith ordered drinks for the two of them: two beers.

"So if you don't mind me asking, what'd you mean by 'you could use a drink after that family dinner'?" Dean asked.

"Oh, nothing. It's really… nothing," Meredith sighed without much explanation.

"I mean, you're parents seems great!" Dean started.

"They are and I love them but I've just had a lot on my mind lately and sometimes they add to it," Meredith answered vaguely.

"Well, do you want to talk about it?" Dean asked.

"Really?" Meredith asked.

"What?" Dean asked back, a little confused.

"Nothing, I just wouldn't have expected that from you. I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you don't exactly seem like the sensitive, let's talk about your feelings kind of guy," Meredith replied.

"People surprise. I'm not saying I am… but people are full of surprises," Dean said back.

Meredith couldn't help herself. If she wasn't engaged she would've been falling for this guy hard. A loud shrieking noise interrupted her thoughts as soon as her best friend Rachel spotted her.

"Oh my God, Mer! I'm so glad you're here!" Rachel shrieked, running up to Meredith and flinging her arms around her friend. Meredith chuckled, a little overwhelmed.

"Hey, congratulations!" Meredith said, as soon as Rachel pulled away from her.

"Thanks. Hey, some of the other girls are here already and we're over at that table. Come join us," Rachel said.

I nodded, "Yeah, okay. But hold on, Rachel. I want to introduce you to someone. This is Dean. He uh, he's one of the new employees at the garage."

"Nice to meet you, Dean. I'm Rachel," Rachel said.

"You too," Dean mumbled.

"Um, you have a lot to explain, missy. Are you cheating on Brant?" Rachel asked, bluntly.

"What? No!" Dean and I both replied, a little disoriented.

"Mhm, sure. If you were though, I could see your reason," Rachel winked before we followed her back to the area that they were staying in.

* * *

><p>"So how're you liking your first night in Ann Arbor?" I asked, as Dean and I walked along the street<p>

"It's nice. New job, great music, a nice girl… you know, if you were single I'd say that I had everything set in stone," Dean said.

"Well, who says if I was single that I'd even go out with you?" Meredith teased.

"Ouch," Dean chuckled.

"I'm kidding. A girl would be lucky to go out with you," Meredith replied.

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Don't push it," Meredith laughed a little. The two walked along the street in silence before Meredith turned to Dean. "Hey, is there any place that I can take you… you know, have you found an apartment yet?" She felt a little silly asking but she had been thinking too much. She was afraid of the things she was feeling. She hadn't felt this good with Brant ever. Dean was fun but he was always sweet and for some reason she felt like she could trust him. She had dated Brant for three years before saying yes to his proposal but she could already imagine a life with Dean and that scared her.

"Actually, no. I was thinking I'd check in to a motel room when we got back or something," Dean said.

"Oh don't be silly. I have an extra room back at my apartment," Meredith offered. Shit. She mentally slapped herself. _What the hell are you doing, Mer? You're getting married to Brant in six months and yet you're inviting this incredibly hot guy that you're not only attracted to physically but also emotionally. Stop it!_ She thought to herself.

"You're fiancé won't mind me staying with you guys?" Dean asked.

"We uh, don't live together, actually. We figured it'd be fine six more months apart," Meredith answered. She was so on edge it was killing her. What the hell was she doing?

"Oh," Dean said. Then there was another silence as the two's minds were racing. "So six months huh?"

"Yeah," Meredith. Maybe this was just a bad case of cold feet and Dean just happened to be here…

"Well, congratulations," Dean replied.

Meredith nodded slowly, "Thanks." Or maybe this was more than cold feet. They reached her car and Meredith unlocked it.

"You know, I still can't believe you drive a '63 Mercury Comet," Dean chuckled.

"Well, when your dad owns a car shop, you grow up knowing cars," Meredith replied, giggling a little as she got into the car.

"You're perfect," Dean said. _Shit. Calm down, Dean. She's engaged and she's happy in this world. If it demons hadn't affected her life, she could've had all of this and without demons she wouldn't have met you. She's happy with you. Don't screw it up for her._Dean thought to himself.

"Um… thanks," Meredith replied uncomfortably.

Meredith and Dean got back to the apartment and Meredith flicked on a light, "Do you want to take a shower or something?"

"Sure," Dean replied.

"There should be some clean towels in the closet in the bathroom. I'll set up the spare room for you," Meredith offered.

"Oh, no you don't have to go through the trouble. Just leave the sheets on the bed and I'll-," Dean started.

"Oh no, don't be silly! I've got it," Meredith replied.

"Okay," Dean said, chuckling a little.

Meredith grabbed some sheets from her closet in her room and then began to set up the spare bedroom. She couldn't help but think about Dean. She had just met him, not to mention was engaged, but she couldn't get Dean off of her mind. She knew she couldn't ruin this for herself but maybe Dean was seriously making her question her relationship with Brant. She and Brant never really fit together perfectly. Sometimes, she questioned whether or not he was ever going to choose her over work as well. Dean waltzing at this time wasn't exactly great timing. Why couldn't he have appeared when she first started dating Brant? And that's when it hit her. If she wasn't in a serious commitment with Brant, she would've dropped him for Dean.

_Ah, stupid, Meredith!_ She thought to herself. _You barely even know this guy! For all you know, he could be some serial killer!_But for some reason she knew she could trust him and felt something with him. She rolled her eyes at the whole cliché feelings she was feeling. They barely knew each other but yet she was getting all worked up over him.

Once Meredith finished up the spare bedroom, she went into the kitchen and made a cup of tea and turned the TV on. She could hear the sounds of the water running in the shower and just tried to focus on the episode of Friends that was on late at night.

"Hey, sorry, I realized I forgot my clothes in the spare room," Dean said, coming out of the bathroom.

"What? Oh! Sorry!" Meredith said, turning around to face Dean. Dean had a towel wrapped around his waist. Wow, did he look good almost naked. Meredith tried to ignore that fact.

"Like what you see?" Dean smirked. He went into the spare room and got his duffel bag before walking back to the bathroom.

"Oh don't flatter yourself," Meredith replied, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Are you sure you want me to put some clothes on?" Dean asked, in the bathroom. The bathroom door was cracked a little. Meredith bit her lip. The temptation was too much. She turned around and looked at the bathroom, the light shining through the door. She saw the towel drop and some skin before quickly turning around. What the hell was she doing? Her heart was racing and her mind was swirling. This was not a good idea. She turned up the volume a little more on the TV and ignored Dean.

"You okay?" Dean asked.

Meredith practically jumped, "Yeah, I'm fine!" she said, letting the words just fall out of her mouth.

"You sure? You seem a little jumpy," Dean replied, a satisfied, smug look on his face. She hated him for that but at the same time she couldn't help but let her mind wander into that bathroom with a very naked Dean.

"Yeah. Can I get you anything?" Meredith asked.

"I'll have some water but I can get it," Dean offered.

"No, I-," Meredith started.

"No, I don't want you to have to get up," Dean said. "Can I get you anything?" Meredith heard the sound of the tap water turn on and then off as soon as the glass was full.

"I'm fine, thanks," Meredith replied. Dean returned the living room area and then sat down on the couch next to her.

"What're we watching?" Dean asked, laying back and propping his feet up on the coffee table.

"Yeah, make yourself comfortable," Meredith replied sarcastically. She nudged his feet off the coffee table and then crossed her arms over her chest.

"_Friends_?" Dean asked.

"Wow, judgmental much? Fine, I'll change it," Meredith scowled, playfully. She began flipping through the channels until Dean stopped her.

"Oh, Dr. Sexy is on! I love that show!" Dean exclaimed.

Meredith cracked up, "Wow, and you judge me for watching Friends? Dr. Sexy? Real manly right there."

"Hey, it is a quality show, okay?" Dean defended.

"Mhm, sure," Meredith replied. She put the remote down on the coffee table and she and Dean watched the episode. Meredith was exhausted and began to fall asleep. Her head began to fall and fell right on Dean's shoulder. Dean slipped his arm around her and continued to watch the episode of Dr. Sexy. This felt so right.

"What time is it?" Meredith asked, stirring.

"It's about 2:30 in the morning. You fell asleep," Dean replied.

"Oh… Okay. I should probably go sleep in my own bed then," Meredith chuckled, sleepily. "Goodnight." She leaned in and kissed Dean on the cheek.

"Goodnight," Dean said. Meredith smiled weakly and then got up and started to go to her room. She made her way across the living room and got to her door before Dean said something. "Meredith, wait!"

"Yeah?" she asked, turning around to face him. Their eyes locked and they both knew that there was no way that they'd be able to stop it if something started.

"I-, well, I think-," Dean started. "Oh what the hell."

He got up and made his way across the room to Meredith, grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her passionately. Meredith didn't waste any time resisting but instead kissed him back, returning the passion. She barely knew this guy, but she had an amazing feeling about him. He made her feeling amazing. They didn't say any more. They didn't need to. Meredith led Dean to her room and she shut the door.

An hour later, Dean woke up. He had just screwed up her alternate reality world too. She was engaged but he slept with her. He hated himself… why was he always putting his needs before Meredith's? He had married her even though he knew he was going to die. He felt selfish. Why was she his weakness and why couldn't he be strong enough to fight it? He knew it was time to go back to his world. He got up and went to the kitchen, looking for a sharp knife. He raised it to his chest, ready to go.

"Dean, wait!" he heard Meredith yell. He turned around. She had tears in her eyes and she was pleading with him to stay.

"I can't. I'm sorry, Mer. I'm so sorry," Dean replied.

"For what? You showed up today and you made it all better. You made me realize that if I marry Brant, I'd be marrying the wrong man. I… we were never right for each other but I wanted to be but… we're not. I haven't been this happy before you, Dean. Stay with me. Stay here," she begged, moving to Dean. She placed her hands in his.

"You're better off without me," Dean said.

She shook her head, "I'm not. I'm… you make me so happy, Dean Winchester. Brant is not the person I want to be with and I'm not just saying this. My relationship with him never felt this real and this honest. I've never been able to trust someone before like this – especially in such a short amount of time."

"You're just saying this to make me stay," Dean said.

Meredith shook her head, "I'm not. If you have to go, I'll understand. Of course I want you to stay but… I love you and if this is what you need to do… I want you to be happy, Dean. I want to make you feel the way you make me feel and if leaving this world is what'll make you happy then I'll be okay."

"Meredith, I wished for a world where demons hadn't hurt your family and this is it. You have a perfect apple pie life with-," Dean replied.

"But none of it really meant anything before you showed up. Why do you think I went to Spain to teach? It's never been enough for me," Meredith said.

"So you're saying that you'd rather have nothing than have this?" Dean asked, confused.

Meredith chuckled, "You're cute when you're confused. No, what I'm saying is that I'd rather have nothing and feel fulfilled than have this and feel… not completely alive inside."

"And that's… me? I make you feel that way?" Dean asked.

Meredith nodded, "So why don't you stay?"

"I can't. I'm sorry, Mer," Dean said, before stabbing himself. He had his answer.

**~End 3rd Person POV~**

* * *

><p>Dean woke up, weak and coughing. His hands were tied and he struggled against the ropes.<p>

"Bobby, over there!" I yelled. I caught sight of the djinn and went after him.

"Mer, I found Dean," I heard Bobby yell back. This was music to my ears. I chased after the djinn. I knew it wouldn't be scared for long and I was right. It turned around and hissed at me, its eyes glowing, reaching for me to put me into one of its wish comas, but I was one step ahead of it. My knife was ready and I stabbed. The creature shrieked and convulsed before falling to the floor. I took a deep breath as it died. I wiped my knife off on my jeans and then put it back into its slip before shoving the knife into my pocket.

"Bobby!" I called out, desperate.

"We're here! He's alright," Bobby called back. I ran towards the voice to find Bobby kneeling next to Dean. Dean was lying on the sitting on the floor, struggling a little bit to hold himself up. I kneeled next to him and helped stabilize him.

"Dean, oh thank God you're okay!" I gasped, wrapping my arms around him.

"Mer?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, it's me," I replied.

He smiled, "I love you."

"I love you too," I said back. I exchanged glances with Bobby a little confused. That was kind of out of the blue but hey, I'd take it.

Later that night, Dean told me about the world that he was trapped in. Dean was laying down on the bed while I sat on it in one of his checkered flannel shirts – which I usually wore to bed. This was one was special though.

"Babe, why didn't you just tell me you were feeling this way? Instead you got yourself kidnapped by a djinn and then got us all worried," I said, hitting him playfully.

"Ow," Dean said.

"Sorry!" I exclaimed, knowing that he was still beat up from today.

"I don't know," Dean shrugged. "It's a little bit hard to say 'hey, am I ruining your life?' Mer, how was I supposed to bring that up with you?"

"You're right. That would be an awkward conversation. Well, for the record, Dean, I love you and I agree with alternate universe me. I would rather have this. Dean, we are so fortunate to have what we have. I have you, for starters and a beautiful son who is surprising me with how amazing he is every day. We have great friends… and Bobby and Andrea. I don't need perfect," I replied.

"But what if-," Dean started.

I shook my head, "No 'buts' Mr."

"Alright, alright," Dean chuckled. I got under the covers and snuggled up to Dean. I lay on my side, my head resting on his chest. I felt Dean's hand snake up my thigh. "If I don't say it enough, you look so sexy in my clothes."

I giggled, "Thanks. You know, this is one of my favorite shirts of yours to wear."

"It's the one I proposed to you in," Dean said.

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

Dean smiled and then kissed me lightly on the lips.

"Mama? Daddy?" a small voice asked. Dean and I both turned to our door to see Jude holding his big bed spread in his arms and standing in our doorway. It was cute and hilarious seeing as the blanket was bigger than he was.

"Yeah, sweetie. What's wrong?" I asked.

"Hey, buddy," Dean added.

"Bad dream. Demons bad to Daddy today," Jude replied.

"You want to come sleep in our room tonight?" Dean offered.

Jude nodded and climbed up on our bed. He nestled himself right between Dean and I and Dean and I exchanged glances, laughing.

"Look, I know that today was scary, but I want you to know that those bad demons aren't going to get me again, okay? You have nothing to be worried about," Dean tried to assure his son. Jude looked up at Dean with wide eyes in pure belief.

"Is true?" he asked.

"Yeah, of course, buddy. It's true. I won't let them hurt me or you or Mommy," Dean replied.

"Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Mommy," Jude said, before closing his eyes and going to sleep. Dean and I laughed a little.

"Goodnight, Dean," I said to Dean.

"Goodnight, Mer," Dean replied. We were so happy and still in the state of disbelief that we were parents. I leaned and kissed Dean once before turning the light off so that we could go to bed.


	5. High School All Over Again

"Babe, can you hand me that wrench?" Dean asked.

"What wrench?" I asked, coming into the kitchen.

"It's on the counter," Dean replied. I picked the wrench up off the counter and handed it to Dean, who was practically buried under the kitchen sink.

"Babe, what're you doing?" I asked.

"I'm trying to fix the sink," Dean answered. I handed him the wrench. "Thanks."

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, curiously, hopping up onto the little island counter that was right across from the sink, watching him. I bit my lip as I glanced at Dean. He was in a white undershirt, his jeans, and his favorite pair of boots. Damn, he looked good. I watched as his arm muscles contracted as he attempted to fix the sink. How did I get this lucky?

"The hot water isn't working. Just one more… yep, that should do it," Dean said, practically talking to himself. I giggled a little. He came out from under the sink and sat up.

"What're you doing?" Dean asked.

"Watching my very sexy husband fix the kitchen sink," I smirked.

"Huh," Dean smiled, satisfied. He stood up from his seated position and turned the sink on. He ran his hand under the running water and waited for it to get warmer. I smirked as I hopped off the counter and moved over to Dean. "Damn it. It's not working. I'm going to have to check again to see if-"

I began to kiss his neck, leaving slow, seductive kisses down his neck. Dean groaned a little. From behind him, I reached my arms around his waist and started to undo his belt. "Mer, what're you doing?" I undid the button on his jeans, slipping a hand down his jeans and stroking him through his boxers.

"Yes? Is there a problem?" I asked, slyly.

"No... but… don't you want the-, fuck, the sink fixed? Shit…" Dean moaned.

"Yep, just testing your concentration," I answered, amused.

"Oh God… babe, what're you-, oh," Dean moaned as I continued to kiss his neck. He closed his eyes and sighed in bliss. "Yeah, alright." Dean turned around and pinned me to the counter, leaving hungry, lustful kisses on my neck.

"What about the sink?" I asked, before moaning as he hit my sweet spot.

"Yeah, I need a break. We'll fix it tomorrow," Dean replied.

I giggled, "I have no problem with that at all." Dean kissed me as he propped me up on the counter. I wrapped my legs around his waist, kissing him back. Suddenly, the sound of my cell phone vibrating rang out and distracted me.

"Dean, someone's calling," I murmured in between kisses.

"So? Don't answer it. It wouldn't be the first time," Dean reminded, running his hands down my body as he continued to kiss me. I opened my eyes and saw the clock on the wall.

"Shit! It's seven, already? I've got to get school! Woah, I've completely lost track of time," I exclaimed. I hopped off the counter, practically pushing Dean away. I made for the bedroom frazzled.

"You're just going to leave me here, like this?" Dean asked, surprised.

"I'm so sorry! I've got to go get changed for work," I called from the bedroom.

"Can't I at least watch?" Dean asked, his voice getting closer. I picked out a black dress and tied the ties that were right at my ribcage on the dress. Dean peered in through the door way. I went over to the door and started to close it.

"No, we all know what happens when you watch. You distract me and then I end up being an hour late. Dean, I've got to go to Molly's bachelorette party now so that I can leave early to pick up Jude from Bobby's," I said, closing the door.

"Oh, come on!" Dean pleaded through the door.

"I'm sorry, babe," I said. "Ah hah!" I finally found my black hells lying near our bed and slipped them on, stumbling a little as I got up. My purse and other things I'd need were outside in the living room so I would get them on my way out. I took a deep breath, trying not to stress due to my hurry.

"Okay, now that's just not fair," Dean said, staring.

"What?" I asked.

"You look- wow," Dean replied.

I blushed, "Thank you. I'm sorry, again, but I can't be late for my first class. Oh, when are you coming in today? You've got practice, right?" I asked, curiously, trying to change the subject. I already felt bad enough that I was leaving Dean well… in his time of need. I was in a hurry but I wanted to make time for Dean as well. Ahh, bad timing!

"Yeah, I get it. But you owe me," Dean reminded, walking towards me and wrapping his arms around my waist. He kissed me once before pulling away. "I'll be in around eleven. I want to go over some plays with the coach for this week's game."

I nodded, "Ooh, look at you sounding all professional and coach-like."

"I do, don't I?" Dean asked, proudly.

I giggled, "Yes. Alright, well I really do need to leave. You don't mind dropping Jude off by the café before you go to school, yeah?"

"'Course not," Dean said back.

"Great, I'll pick him up later and uh… we may even make an appearance at your football practice," I said.

"That sounds great," Dean said. I pecked him on the lips once before starting for the door. "Mer?"

"Yeah?" I asked back. Instead of replying with words, Dean charged at me and kissed me passionately before finally letting me go. I smiled. "What was that for?"

"Just a little taste of what's to come," Dean smirked.

"I'm looking forward to it," I replied, before finally leaving.

LINEBREAK

"Well, there's repetition in it, right? So-," Andrew, one of my students started, but we were interrupted by a knock on the classroom door.

"Yes?" I called, hoping the person on the other side would hear me and just take that as a cue to come in. One of the ladies from the office came into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt. Coach Winchester would like to see you and wanted me to give you this," She said politely before handing me a note.

"Thanks, Ms. Williams," I said back, before she left. There were whistles and "oohs" from my class. "Alright, alright. It's not a big deal, guys."

"What's it say, Mrs. Winchester?" Amanda, one of the students asked eagerly. After the homecoming dance that Dean and I had chaperoned, most of my students were now asking me about my husband.

"Nothing. We should probably get back to the questions. Andrew, you were about to say something?" I said, changing the subject as quickly as possible.

"Oh yeah, um, right. You said that if there's repetition in Shakespeare, it means that there's some kind of significance or emphasis, right?" Andrew asked.

I nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, so, the first time Othello says light, he's talking about an actual light but the second time… he's talking about… life. The "and then put out the light" means he's going to kill her… which he does in the end," Andrea explicated.

I smiled proudly, "Exactly, Mr. Michaels." I had great students this year and Andrew was definitely one of the best. I glanced at the clock. "It seems we've run out of time. We will pick up where we left off tomorrow. Take care, you guys."

The students shuffled out of their desks and shoved their notebooks and pencils back into their book bags. They hurried out of the room chatting away, loudly.

"Nice work, today Andrew. You know, you're really coming along," I said, as Andrew walked by my desk.

"Thanks. I've never really liked English until this year. I'm more of a history guy but uh, this has been pretty cool actually," Andrew said.

I nodded, "Well thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the class."

"Yeah," Andrew replied, before leaving the class room.

I finally opened up the note that Dean had written.

Dean: Meet me after your last class in my office. Heh, I have an office now. I love you. Remember, you owe me.

I smiled to myself and then rolled my eyes playfully, as I read the note. Although Dean could be incredibly ridiculous, I still loved him. I loved how this was his version of a love note. I folded it back up and shoved it in my pocket. I grabbed my bags and then headed out of my classroom to meet Dean in his now office.

The door was closed when I got there and so I knocked. I peered in and saw Dean behind a desk, intently scribbling something down. I watched as he got up and opened the door.

"Check out the new office. Pretty sweet, huh?" Dean asked.

I giggled as I walked in, "Yeah, it is. You needed to see me?"

"Mhm," Dean replied, mischievously.

"For?" I asked back.

"For this," Dean smirked before pulling me into a passionate kiss.

"And… my… whole sixth period…. English… class… had to know…. Huh?" I asked, in between Dean's hungry kisses.

"Mhm," Dean murmured, gently backing me into the wall and pressing me up against it as he continued to kiss me. His hands went from my hips, up my waist, to my ribcage, behind me to my back and then lower….

"Dean!" I squealed, grabbing his hands and pulling them off of me. I held them as I looked at him and he leaned in to kiss me again. "What has gotten into you?"

"What? After this morning how can you expect any less of this from me?" Dean asked.

"I really do need to let you finish what we start, don't I?" I asked.

"Yep, or I'll get like this. Besides, how am I supposed to keep my hands off of you all day when I know you're around all of those horny high schools boys without me?" Dean asked back.

"Oh no! Not this again," I sighed.

"What? It's true," Dean replied.

I giggled and then kissed him once before dropping his hands, "I'm going to go get Jude, okay? We'll come for practice."

"Mkay," Dean replied, but instead of letting me go, he placed his hands around my waist and pulled me to him. I bit my lip, smiling.

"What?" I asked.

"You look gorgeous today, baby," he said.

"Thank you. This whole coach look is really working for me," I replied, looking down at his navy blue, collared, polo styled shirt and his khakis. Dean never dressed like this and he looked amazing.

"I'm glad it's working for at least one of us. I hate dressing like this. It makes me feel like-," Dean started.

"You have a job as a coach?" I suggested, teasingly.

"Yeah, but it's all formal and shit. At least at the garage I can wear whatever I want," Dean replied.

"Well if it helps, it's hot," I said back, before kissing him once. "But for real this time, you have to let me go. I've got to go get our son."

"Fine," Dean sighed, finally letting me go.

"Oh, and to reply to your note, I love you too," I said, before leaving.

As soon as I got to the café, Jude ran towards me.

"Mommy!" he exclaimed, jumping into my arms. I picked him up and he wrapped his arms around my neck.

"Hi, baby. Did you have fun with Grandma today?" I asked.

"Mhm. We play games! And I help food," Jude replied, excitedly.

"Did you help Grandma make food?" I asked back.

"Yeah," Jude smiled.

"There you are! I was starting to wonder where you went, little man," Andrea said, coming out from the kitchen and into the café area.

"I found Mommy," Jude said, proudly.

"You did, did you?" Andrea asked him. "Jude was great today. As always. He just woke up from his nap."

"Thank you so much for taking him. It's been kind of hectic getting back to work after the summer and figuring out what we were going to do with Jude. At least during the summer Dean could go to garage but I was home but now Dean has the coaching job and-," I explained.

"You don't need to explain. Any time, Meredith," Andrea reassured.

I smiled, "Thank you. Hey buddy, do you want to go to your daddy's football practice?"

"We go see Daddy?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Uh huh. And you can meet the kids I teach at school," I said.

"Okay, let's go!" Jude cheered. He struggled against me so I put him down and he grabbed my hand. "Let's go, let's go!"

"Alright, alright, buddy, but can you say thank you to Grandma?" I asked.

"Oh! Thank you, Grandma," Jude said, dropping my hand and running over to Andrea. He gave her a hug around the legs before running back to me.

LINEBREAK

Jude and I arrived at school and headed straight for the football field. Jude ran a little, claiming that he wanted to run all by himself without help. I just chuckled and let him do whatever running or walking he wanted to do without saying anything. He was hitting that age where he wanted to everything by himself without any help. If we tried to feed him, he'd say 'no, all by myself.'

"Alright boys, take five minutes and get some water. Michaels, make sure to stay on defense once the play starts and Carlton, remember, eye on the ball at all times," Dean reminded.

"There's Daddy! I run to him, by myself?" Jude asked.

"Sure, sweetie," I chuckled, letting go of his hand.

"Daddy!" Jude exclaimed, running towards Dean.

"Wow, Winchester, looks like you've got a runner there. Hey, maybe he'll be on the track team by the time he gets here," Coach Reid, the head coach, remarked.

"Hey, buddy! What're you doing here?" Dean asked, excitedly. He picked up Jude in his arms and held him.

"Mommy and me drove her. I ran by myself," Jude bragged, proudly.

"You did, huh?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Jude said.

"Hi, you," Dean said, leaning in to kiss me once.

"How's practice going?" I asked, standing next to Dean. I glanced over at the bleachers and saw the team all catching their breath and drinking tons of water.

"Great," Dean said back.

"Good. You guys feel ready for the game this weekend?" I asked.

"I think they are. After a couple more practices I think they will too. How was Jude?" Dean asked.

"Andrea said he was great. Well good. Jude and I will have to come then, now won't we?" I asked Jude.

"We can go to Daddy's game?" Jude asked.

I nodded, "Uh huh."

"Awesome," Jude smiled. "Can I go down now?" Jude asked, looking at Dean.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, but make sure you don't get trampled by any football players, buddy."

"I won't," Jude said, wandering around. He took tiny steps towards the bleachers. I watched Jude carefully, hoping that he wouldn't get into any trouble. I felt relieved as soon as I saw some of the guys on the team talking to him. I knew they'd keep an eye on him as well. Anthony Edwards gave me a thumbs up as he entertained Jude. Anthony was one of my students last year and was now a senior this year.

"He's fine. The boys have got him and I'm sure that Coach Reid will keep an eye on him as well," Dean reassured, pulling me into his arms.

I smiled, "I know, I know. I'm just being cautious."

"I know you are," Dean smirked, pulling me in and kissing me once.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"Fine, how was yours?" Dean asked back.

"Great, actually. You know you're center… uh… Andrew Michaels, he's doing really well in my class. He had this amazing break through today and I'm just, I'm proud," I replied.

"Michaels? Huh? I never took him as an English person," Dean said.

I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully, "Well he's pretty damn good. Hey, Jude and I should probably get home, but I'll see you later?"

"Aw, man. I was hoping you'd stay long enough so that we could make out under the bleachers," Dean smirked, nudging me a little.

"Ah, I would, but see, most of your team has been my students, are my students, or will be my students in a year or two. I don't think so," I replied.

"Fine, but just remember, you owe me," Dean reminded.

"Yes, I know. I'll see you at home," I said, kissing him once.

"Bye, babe," he said back. Dean and I exchanged smiles.

"Hey, Jude, whatcha got there?" I asked, making my way over to Jude. Jude was crowded around by a group of football players which could be intimidating but Jude looked right at home.

"Ball!" Jude exclaimed, holding up the ball he had in his hands.

"I see that. Listen, buddy, we're going to go home," I started.

"Aw, man!" Jude said.

"I know, but how about this? How about we go to these guys' game this Friday, huh?" I offered up.

"We can go?" he asked.

I nodded, "Of course, sweetie. But for now, we should go home."

"Okay. Thank you," Jude said, handing the ball back to Anthony.

"No problem, little guy," Anthony replied, taking the ball. "Cute kid, Mrs. Winchester. I have a little brother too and Jude reminds me a little bit of him.

"Thanks, Anthony," I said back.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> OK, so we kind of skipped over homecoming... I know. BUT I'm going to keep on with the more mundane, normal life chapters. I'm actually not quite sure how many of them I'll do just because I have big plans for the future (like season 6). Please let me know A. What you want to see in their normal life before Sam comes back and B. What episodes you're dying for me to include in this story. Thanks so much and sorry I haven't been updating very often. Hopefully, updates will be coming later on.

I want to try and work on "The Only Exception" and I've been brewing some new Dean story ideas. I also perhaps may want to try my hand at another Sam story... we'll see though.

Thanks again and happy reading!


	6. Football Games & Late Night Talks

Author's Note: Happy holidays everyone! I know this chapter is super short, especially compared to what I usually write. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it still AND i wanted to make a shoutout to everyone that consistently gives me feedback like TiffanyKai, Dawnie-7, and sam and dean crazy ass wench. Thanks so much!

* * *

><p>"Jude, sweetie, can you sit down for Mama?" I asked, growing impatient. Jude wouldn't sit still and kept attempting to run around when I needed him to just stay put. These bleachers were dangers for two year olds!<p>

"Go see Daddy, please!" Jude demanded.

"I know. I know you want to go see Daddy but he is busy coaching the game. Okay, how about I make you a deal? If you sit down now, we can go visit Daddy during half time," I offered up. "Deal?"

"Deal," Jude smiled. He hopped back onto the bleacher bench and sat down. "Daddy winning?"

"Yes, I think your father's team is winning," I chuckled.

"Mama, can I be football player too?" Jude asked.

"Maybe, when you get to high school if you really want to," I said back.

"I like football," Jude smiled.

I giggled, "Alright, sweetie. Oh look! There's Uncle Ethan and Aunt Molly." Just then, Molly and Ethan were walking through this row of bleachers to sit next to Jude and I.

"Hey, who's that? Is that Jude?" Ethan asked.

"Ethan!" Jude exclaimed, running over to Ethan.

"Hey, buddy," Ethan smiled, picking Jude up and sitting him on his lap. He looked over at me and nodded as if to say 'I've got him. Talk to my fiancé because she misses you and has desperately needed your guidance on wedding things'. I mouthed back a "thank you" before Molly sat down next to me. "Don't worry. I'll take him to go get some juice or something. You two ladies have fun."

"Hey, you," I said, as she sat down.

"He's going to be a great father some day. Look at him. He's amazing with Jude," Molly said, admiring Ethan and Jude.

"He really is. You lucked out, huh?" I asked,

"Yeah… speaking of all things wedding… it's in a week, Mer and I'm kind of freaking out!" Molly confessed with a sigh.

"Oh no, why?" I exclaimed looking over at her.

"I don't know… what if things don't go right? And you know, what if the dress breaks or something or my shoes break or the seating chart goes completely wrong? Oh God, and my parents! What if they fight the entire time?" Molly asked.

I chuckled because I was relieved that she was nervous about the minor details as opposed to committing the rest of her life to Ethan, "Molly, take a deep breath. It's all going to be okay. Did my dress break at my wedding? No. And guess who made that? You. You're going to be fine! As for your parents, I think that they understand that this is important enough to you that they'll be on their best behavior. Besides, you say that whenever they are together now, they seem civil."

"I know, but… what if they aren't?" Molly asked.

"It's your wedding, Molly. They wouldn't mess that up for you," I reassured.

She sighed, "Thanks. I think I just needed to get all of that off my chest. I know I shouldn't be freaking out but I'm so nervous. I have dreams, well, more like nightmares, about things going terribly wrong."

"That's what I'm here for," I said back.

"You know, I probably should be freaking out about the fact that I'm actually getting married but that part doesn't actually seem so scary. Ethan and I have been together for… like ever so, I don't know, forever doesn't really seem like that big of a deal anymore," Molly continued.

I nodded, "That's good. You're nervous about the stuff that you're supposed to be nervous about. You know, if you weren't nervous, I think I'd actually be a little bit worried."

"Yeah?" Molly asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"But you weren't nervous about all of that stuff," Molly started.

"Are you serious? Of course I was! But we had a smaller wedding so it wasn't as big of a deal and well, Dean was dying at the point so I honestly could've gotten married in a potato sack and would've been fine. I just wanted to be married to him," I answered.

Molly chuckled, "I would've killed you if you had gotten married in a potato sack. I hope you know that."

I laughed, "Of course I do."

"But enough about me. How are you? Look at us all a Sioux Falls High football game. It's like high school," Molly said, changing the subject.

"Hah, yeah it is like high school. Um… things are great with me. Dean and I are doing well and Jude is amazing. Although he is going into the "I want to do everything by myself" phase which gets annoying at times but we love him. He's growing up faster than I thought he would," I replied.

"You know, with all the wedding planning and the fact that you have a kid to raise, we haven't had much time to talk like this," Molly reminded.

I nodded, "I know. I've missed it."

"Me too," Molly said back.

"Oh, look, Ethan's back with Jude," I said, straightening up a little.

"He's so perfect, Mer. You and Dean got so lucky," Molly smiled, seeing Jude.

"Thanks. We feel pretty lucky," I said back.

At half time, I took Jude down to the field to see Dean. The band was playing and it was a good time to go down. I held Jude in my arms as we reached the field. Dean was talking to one of his players and it seemed like they were having an encouraging discussion. He finished the discussion and then came over to me and Jude.

"Hi," Dean smiled, seeing the two of us. He kissed me once and I gave him Jude to hold.

"Hi, you. The game's good," I complimented.

"Daddy is winning?" Jude asked, hopefully.

Dean chuckled, "I guess you could say that. Daddy's team is winning."

"Guess what Jude told me earlier today? Do you want to tell him, Jude?" I asked.

Jude nodded, "Uh huh. I want to be football player too!"

"Oh, you do, do you?" Dean asked.

"Uh huh," Jude grinned.

"Hey, little man, the team was asking about you the other day. They really like you. You want to go say high to them and wish them good luck?" Dean offered.

"Yeah!" Jude cheered.

"Alright, just make sure it's okay with Mommy," Dean said, eyeing me.

I nodded, "Of course. Go ahead."

"Alright, say thank you, Mommy," Dean said.

"Thank you, Mommy," Jude smiled. I laughed a little as Dean took Jude to go say hi to his team. I could barely believe my eyes. Our life was so apple pie. I never thought I'd ever see the day but here we were.

LINEBREAK

"Tonight was good," I observed, taking another spoon full of my ice cream and eating it. I sat at the island counter in our kitchen.

"So Jude wants to be a football player?" Dean asked.

"Hm, you know how kids are. One day they want to be a football player, the next a drummer," I replied, nodding a little. Dean leaned in a little with an open mouth, asking for ice cream. I chuckled a little and gave him a spoonful of ice cream to eat.

"This stuff is good," Dean said.

"Mhm," I replied.

"Meredith, can we talk about something?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. What is it?" I asked back. Dean made his way around the island and then sat down next to me on the other stool.

"I know we've talked about it a little bit, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. Jude already knows about demons and everything but… are we supposed to raise him knowing about it? Am I supposed to take him out back when he's seven and teach him how to use a gun? I just… I feel like I'm going to screw up and somehow he'll turn out like me. Well me before you and I got back together…" Dean explained.

I sighed, "Dean, I honestly don't think there's a right way to do it. I think when it's time to teach him how to do all of that stuff, we'll know… or maybe he might even start asking. I don't exactly think it's a good idea to bring him up without knowing how to defend himself but I don't want to take him out on the road, pull him out of school… you know. I just think, if he has to hunt, he'll do it out of necessity."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, I guess so. I'm just… I don't know… worrying too much. That's what happens when I think too much."

I chuckled, "And we all know where that got us last time – attacked by djinn and in an alternate universe where I was engaged to someone that was not you."

Dean laughed a little, "I get a little self-destructive when I have too much time to think.

"And you're just realizing this now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow teasingly.

Dean smiled, "Ha-ha you're hilarious," he replied sarcastically.

"Look, we're going to be alright. We didn't know that Sam's last request was going to be for us to have a totally hunting-free life. Jude was born even before that! I don't think it would've been easy to keep this life from Jude," I reasoned.

"You're right," Dean sighed.

"Aren't I always?" I teased.

"What has gotten into you tonight?" Dean asked, standing up and collecting my empty ice cream bowl and going over to the sink, putting the dish in it. He ran water over it.

I giggled, "I don't know… it must be something in the water." Dean returned to me as I remained sitting.

"Come here, you," Dean said, placing his hands on my hips.

"Well, since you've been thinking too much and it seems like it's getting you into a little bit of trouble, I've got an idea to help… uh… take your mind off things," I said, suggestively.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean smirked.

I giggled, "I sure hope so because if not, that could be really awkward."

"Yes, it could," Dean chuckled. He closed the gap between us and kissed me passionately. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he moved in closer, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist. "Mrs. Winchester, I think we should take this to our bedroom.

"Me too," I said back. Dean picked me up and carried me down the hall to our bedroom.


	7. Can't Help Falling In Love

"_Wise men say only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you…"_

"Well, here we are. Can you believe it? Look at this place. It's beautiful!" Molly admired, looking around the beautifully decorated church. Molly really as having this big, white, dream wedding.

"You ready?" I asked, giddy with excitement.

"Yeah," Molly sighed, content. Her answer was full of such confidence that I knew without a doubt that she was ready. I was so happy that my best friends were getting their happy ending too… together. Had I ever imagined that they'd end up married? Honestly, no, but I was happy that they had come to this point. I had watched over the years, their love grow stronger and stronger. They made each other so happy.

"This is your big day, Molly. Geez, why is everyone getting married but me? I'm starting to think I should be getting married at some point," Sawyer said.

Molly chuckled, "There's no rush, Sawyer. Besides, you want to wait for someone that's worth it. Like Ethan." I smiled at Molly's giddiness in regards to Ethan. She really loved him.

"I know. I haven't found anyone that means as much to me as Ethan does to you or that Dean does to Meredith. Maybe I've been looking in the wrong place this whole time. Sioux Falls apparently knows how to bring up men," Sawyer joked.

I nodded, laughing a little, "You know, if Sam were here, I think he'd whisk you away off your feet and make you fall in love with him." It was a somber more nostalgic note but I couldn't help myself. I missed Sam so much and I could tell that Sawyer did too. We hadn't really brought him up since she arrived here and it had been boiling in the back of my mind for a while.

"I wish… I hope he's okay… wherever he is," Sawyer said.

"Me too," Molly agreed.

"Sorry guys. I'm being terribly depressing her. On a lighter note, why don't we get you ready for your wedding?" I asked to Molly.

Molly nodded, "Okay."

"_Shall I stay? Would it be a sin if I can't help falling in love with you?"_

The three of us left the huge, white church and went to the bridal room. I hung up Molly's dress while Sawyer set up the makeup. Molly sat down at the vanity table and left her hair in the ponytail she had it in. Molly began to do a little makeup but Sawyer took it away from her.

"Uh uh. It is your wedding day meaning we are doing your makeup and your hair," Sawyer demanded bossily.

"Yeah, just like my wedding!" I chimed in.

"Mer, I love you but… you doing hair and makeup?" Molly teased.

"Hey! I'm getting better at it, okay? And… you know… it'll be good practice when, and even if I have a daughter," I replied. Sawyer and Molly both gasped.

"Is there something you're not telling us, missy?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, anything you'd like to tell us, Mer," Sawyer added.

I chuckled, "No, I'm not pregnant… we're not even trying… but before we got married we had a conversation about kids and we both said that we might want to have a daughter at some point. But right now is probably not good. Dean and I are still seeing how well we do with Jude and-."

"Um, no, you two are amazing parents!" Molly interrupted.

"Thank you. I think we just want to give it a little time. We're still trying to figure out Jude. Hah, he's the terrible two phase of 'I want to do everything by myself'. Maybe in a year or two," I replied.

"Yeah, you two are amazing with Jude. I honestly wasn't quite sure how Dean would be as a dad but he really surprises me. No offense. It's just that he doesn't really seem like the fatherly type of guy," Sawyer said.

"No, I know what you're saying… but I knew he'd be great from the start. Dean puts on this tough guy façade but it's just how he was raised. Underneath it all he's really a family man," I said back. "But enough about me. It's Molly's wedding day so Molly, you should tell us some kind of romantic anecdote. I don't know! Whatever people do before weddings."

Molly chuckled, "Well… when I returned to Sioux Falls and we first saw each other again, I don't know… call me a hopeless romantic but I could just feel something there. We had never really looked at each other that way back in high school but, I don't know, I saw Ethan and it was like I was seeing him differently."

"I remember that. I was a little surprised but I could tell the both of you were flirting that day at the Falcon," I added.

"Man, I really do miss everything," Sawyer sighed.

"Maybe you should move back," Molly hinted.

Sawyer shrugged, "Maybe."

"Ooh, tell the story about how Ethan proposed. That's a good one," I encouraged.

"Okay. Um… well I was about to leave for fashion week and I felt terrible because it was our two year anniversary but there was no way that I could get out of the trip so I told Ethan that I was sorry and that we'd celebrate when I got back. I felt horrible and I asked him: I really hope you don't disown me and he just said to me: actually, I'd like to do the opposite. And then he got down on one knee and proposed," Molly replied.

"Molly, that's so romantic!" Sawyer squealed.

I laughed, "Hahha, Ethan had to practice on me like five billion times until I finally just said to him: look dude, you're going to find a right time the words will just come together. He was freaking out! Ahhh he was so afraid you'd say no.

"And what reason would I have to say now?" Molly reminded.

"Exactly," I said back.

The three of us got ready for the wedding and finally we were all done. Sawyer and I helped Molly into her dress and she looked beautiful. It was a strapless, sweetheart neckline, white dress that was floor length. Her hair was in pretty bun and all there was left was the veil. Molly put on the veil and then looked in the mirror.

"Oh my God, I'm getting married today," She said, as soon as she saw her reflection.

"It's a crazy feeling, isn't it?" I asked, happily.

Molly nodded, "It's amazing."

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"_Like a river flows surely to the sea, darling so it goes. Some things are meant to be…"_

Dean and Ethan stood in the church, waiting for the wedding to start. Ethan was going to go up to the altar with his best man, and Dean would enter with Meredith.

"How're you feeling, dude?" Dean asked.

"Good… I'm supposed to feel good right?" Ethan asked back, straightening out his tie a little.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, you're supposed to be feeling this way. Sam was surprised that I wasn't nervous on my wedding day either. You just know… you know?"

"Yeah, I do," Ethan replied.

"Well, congrats, man," Dean said, patting Ethan on the back. He left the church to enter with the rest of the wedding procession.

The sound of the wedding procession started and it was time for the wedding to start. The doors opened and the bridesmaids walked through. Molly's little cousin was the flower girl and she came in first. The little girl threw flower pedals down the aisle before the two took her seat. Next came Sawyer, then Molly's mother, then Andrea, followed by Meredith, who was holding Jude, the ring bearer and Dean, looking like the perfect happy family. Ethan looked at his mother and was relieved to see how happy she looked. She smiled at Ethan and mouthed, 'I love you'. Ethan smiled back and mouthed back 'you too'. Right after Meredith, was Molly, brought in by her father. Everyone stood up and she walked through the aisle and looked happy as ever.

"She looks beautiful," Dean said.

"I know," Ethan smiled. This was it.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"We have gathered here today to celebrate the union of Ethan Anderson Walsh and Molly Penelope Owens," the priest started. From across the altar, Dean smiled at me and I smiled back at him. Being the wedding made me think about our wedding. That had been an incredible day. The service went on and priest went through the whole routine of the wedding.

"Do you have the rings?" the priest asked.

"Yeah. Go ahead and give them the rings sweetie," I said to Jude.

"Okay, Mama," Jude replied, walking over the Ethan and giving him the rings.

"Thanks, little man," Ethan said back. Jude smiled and then returned to me.

"Ethan, take Molly's hand," the priest started. "Repeat after me."

"Do you Ethan Anderson Walsh, take Molly Penelope Owens to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Ethan said, looking straight into Molly's eyes. I could see how happy the two of them were.

"You may now place the ring on her finger," the priest said. Ethan took a deep breath before placing the ring of Molly finger. She giggled a little and smiled happily. The two of them exchanged glances. They were so in love.

"Molly Penelope Owens, do you take Ethan Anderson Walsh as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?" the priest asked.

"I do," Molly replied, laughing a little. She slid the ring onto Ethan's finger and they smiled at each other.

"Well, by the state of South Dakota, I now pronounced you husband and wife," the priest said. "You may now kiss the bride. Ethan and Molly kissed once and the whole chapel was cheering.

"I love you," he said to her.

"I love you too," she said back.

These were my two best friends and I couldn't be happier for them.

* * *

><p>"<em>So take my hand, and take my whole life too. 'Cause I can't help falling in love with you…"<em>

"When I first met Molly Owens, we were in our junior year US history class and she asked me and Dean to go to homecoming in a group with her and her boyfriend at the time. Molly was known as the popular cheerleader girl, knowingly pretty, still is, and I was so afraid that we wouldn't get along. But I went over to the house and we all got ready for homecoming and I realized I liked her a lot more than I thought I would. Guess that tells you never to judge a book by its cover. Weeks later we had our first heart to heart and I could just tell that she and I were going to be good friends. There was just something about her that made me trust her and we've been best friends ever since.

Ethan, you've been my best friend since I moved here. I know I'm supposed to talk about Molly, being the maid of honor and everything, but I couldn't help myself. You and I grew up together. You're amazing and I love you and I'm just so happy for you.

Molly, you've been an amazing friend to me and I'm so happy that you found love with my other best friend. I've seen you two together and you make each other so incredibly happy. Hah, I remember the first time you told me that you two were seeing each other. You were so afraid that I'd react badly but… of course it wasn't very expected but the minute I saw you two together, I knew you both were serious. Best of luck to the both of you. Molly, it's your turn to get the both the boy and the baby. I love you two so much," I said.

The guests cheered and then it was Kevin's, Ethan's best man, turn to speak.

"Ethan, my man, congratulations. When you first came to the hospital, we ended up teamed up on surgery a lot and I just figured: hey, why not get to know this guy? I'm pretty glad that I did. You've always got my back, in and out of the hospital. I remember the first time you brought Molly to one of the work parties. She lit up the room and got along with everyone. She lovely, man. You really lucked out on this one. I wish you the best of luck with the beginning of your marriage. You're just at the beginning of the rest of your life and you're in for a something great," Kevin said.

We clapped and then it was done.

"And now for the couple's first dance," Andrea announced.

The sweet sounds of Ingrid Michaelson's cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love" played through the speakers and Ethan pulled Molly into his arms and the two began to sway with the music.

"Dance with me," Dean whispered in my ear, beginning to get up out of his chair.

"I'd love to," I replied, following him out to the dance floor. Other couples joined us on the dance floor.

"Reminds you of ours, huh?"Dean asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, I know. Can you believe our wedding was four years ago?"

"No… can you believe we have a son?" Dean asked back.

I giggled, "No, but I'm glad we do. He's perfect, Dean. You know, he's getting more and more like you every day with his pie and his leather jacket and his growing love for rock music. We went to the supermarket the other day and he wouldn't settle on any other radio station but the rock one. Then, an AC/DC song came on and he cheered."

"The kid really is getting more and more like me every day," Dean said. The two of us glanced at Sawyer who was on the dance floor, dancing with Jude.

"It's good to have her home," I said.

"I bet. You miss her, don't you?" Dean asked.

I nodded. We continued to dance and I lay my head on Dean's chest and just listened to his heart beat. Weddings always brought out the romantic side out of me. They just reminded me how much I loved Dean.

Later on, when things started to dwindle down, Dean was talking to Bobby so I went over to Andrea who was saying goodbye to some guests.

"Hey, what're you up to?" I asked.

Andrea sighed, "Nothing, just saying goodbyes to people."

"Can you believe he's finally married?" I asked.

Andrea chuckled and shook her head, "No. It feels like just yesterday he was out in the backyard making mud pies. Hah, it feels like just yesterday the both of you were running around the café and making mischief but now he's married and you're married with a two year old kid! Since when did you two grow up on me?"

"I have no idea… don't worry, it feels like just yesterday for me too," I said back. "How are you doing though? What have you been up to?"

"Ah, you know, just running the café. I hired some more kids from Sioux Falls high school. I don't think I'll ever be able to replace you two but Blake came close," Andrea replied.

I chuckled, "Well, we still come around and visit too."

"I know, I know. I guess I miss having a full house sometimes. Those days when you're all here are the best. You guys are family! I know it's an unconventional kind of family but it's a family nonetheless. Those are pretty rare in this life," Andrea explained.

I nodded, "Yeah, we're lucky to have you. Thank you so much for babysitting Jude though. We are so grateful. With Dean's new job and my job… we're both working a lot. It was so much easier during the summer when I was able to stay home but I would never ask Dean to stay home and I'm not quite sure I could give up my teaching job. I've really missed the kids."

"How's that going?" Andrea asked.

"The kids are amazing again. Some of them, of course, don't care but some of them are really making progress," I replied. "That's what I love about this job. Seeing the kids grow and learn to love the literature."

Andrea smiled, "I always knew you would be a teacher when you grew up."Just then, Ethan joined our conversation.

"What are you two ladies talking about?" Ethan asked.

"Well, look who it is! The happy groom. Congratulations, sweetheart," Andrea said, hugging his mom.

"Yeah, congrats, you," I said, hugging Ethan when he was done hugging his mom.

"Nice speech, there, missy English teacher," Ethan teased.

I laughed, "Well, thanks. Hey, it's like old times. All we need is an old Madonna record or something and embarrassing dancing from Ethan."

"Hey! My dancing is not embarrassing!" Ethan protested. Andrea and I exchanged glances and then erupted in laughter.

"You're so adorable," I said.

"Oh Ethan," Andrea sighed.

"Oh, it looks like we've got to go but congrats. I love you. Make her happy, Ethan," I said, jokingly on the last part. I got up, hugged Ethan, and then met Dean at the door. "You ready to go?"

"Is that alright?" he asked back.

"Yeah, let me just say goodbye to Molly," I said back. I found Molly in a group of some of her friends from the company. I tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around.

"Hey, Mer, can I talk to you?" Sawyer interrupted.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked back. I gave Dean a look but he just nodded as if to say 'go ahead'.

"So... the reason I haven't really been talking about work and stuff... well... I quit," Sawyer confessed.

"What? Why?" I asked, alarmed.

"We got a new boss and he's... terrible. He's trying to make the company something it's not. We're not publishing books that mean anything anymore. A coworker and I got to talk and she and decided to resign because... because we want to start a publishing company together," Sawyer said.

"Oh my God, Sawyer, that's great!" I exclaimed.

"Here's the other thing. I want to move back here. Tara and I both talked about where we'd do it and, I don't know, LA doesn't really seem to be the right thing. We've got a manuscript and everything and, I want to come home. I feel like I'm missing everything and I'm missing Jude growing up and... I just want to come home. Tara said she was in for Sioux Falls. We need to be away from the LA lights just to publish a book that's really going to mean something to someone. I think I'm moving back," Sawyer said.

"Really?" I asked, excitedly. I could barely believe what she was telling me.

"Really, Sawyer replied.

I smiled, "Oh my God, that's amazing, Sawyer! Go, you! That's awesome. Aw, congratulations."

"Thank you. And you're okay with all of this?" she asked.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?" I asked back.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"Well, we look forward to having you back," I said. "But listen I've got to go say goodbye to Molly so that we can leave. Jude needs a nap and Dean and I need long overdue alone time together."

"Ahhh alone time. I get it," she smirked.

"Yeah... nothing's really changed there," I said back.

Sawyer chuckled, "I'm not surprised. But go ahead and go. I just wanted to tell you what was up because I've been working up the courage to tel you all this time."

I smiled, "Well thank you for telling me. It sounds so exciting."

"Thanks. Why are you the best sister ever?" Sawyer asked.

I laughed, "Thanks, I try." I replied jokingly. I hugged Sawyer and then made my way to Molly.

"Oh my God, you're speech was amazing, Mer!" she exclaimed, hugging me.

"Thanks. Hey, I've got to go right now. Jude is due for a nap but I wanted to say thank you so much, congrats, and good luck," I said.

"Aw, already?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said back.

"Alright, but thank you so much. I love you, Mer," Molly said.

"Love you too. Hey, have fun on your honeymoon," I said back.

"Oh I will," she winked. The two of us exchanged laughter before I returned to Dean.

"What do you say you and I go home and put Jude down for a nap and then you and I can do some celebrating ourselves," Dean whispered in my ear. I could feel his smirking.

"Okay," I said back.

"Sleepy," Jude mumbled. Dean held his hand as we walked through the door. We took Jude to the car and fastened him in his car seat.

"Hey Dean?" I said, before Dean could get in the car.

"Yeah?" he asked back.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you too, baby," he said back, walking around the car to the passenger door, where I was. Dean pulled me into a passionate kiss, and then kissed me up against the car.

_"'Cause I can't help falling in love with you. I keep falling in love with you..."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Alright, I think this may be one of the last normal days for Dean and Meredith. I'm probably going to write one more chapter about their normal days before Sam comes back. What're you thinking of the story so far? Sorry updates have been so short/really unrecent BUT I'm on break. Also, I should be starting a new story very soon! Exciting! It'll be a little bit of a different side of hunting. Anyways, let me know what you're thinking of the story so far. Happy holidays everyone!


	8. Every February You'll Be My Valentine

**Author's Note:**Hi! I've been leaving A LOT of these lately. Well, I was going through my Diary of a Hunter sequel story (For the First Time) and realized that I had forgot to add a part of a chapter which I felt like you'd enjoy. I posted the updated version of the chapter today. It's Chapter 22: The Comfort of Old Friends. You can read it if you'd like! I guess you can say it's a bonus that goes along with this chapter. Let me know what you think seeing as it wasn't in what I originally posted. **It's super cute so please read it!**

.net/s/7371748/22/For_The_First_Time

By the way, this is the first sexy chapter of this story. I know… I've been holding off on you guys. If you feel uncomfortable reading it, please go ahead and skip the tail end of the chapter… which will be sexy… just sayin'. **Yeah... warning: Super graphic sex scene at the end.**

Super long chapter. I enjoyed writing it. It's kind of mushy but it's valentine's day so whatever.

* * *

><p>"<em>Now every February, you'll be my valentine, valentine…"<em>

I heard the door swing open and Dean kick his shoes off.

"Honey, I'm home!" he called, playfully obnoxious as the door closed. I heard his footsteps coming down the hallways towards our bedroom. I quickly wrapped my bathrobe around my body and tied it around my waist.

"Go back out!" I called from the bedroom.

"Why, is the mailman here again?" Dean joked.

"No, he just put on his pants and jumped out the window but I, on the other hand am not properly dressed yet. One would say that I was quite indecent and… well we can't have that, now can we?" I asked back playing along with him. I peeked my head out of the doorway to our bedroom to look at him.

"You don't look indecent. In fact, I think you are far too covered up," Dean said, as I came out of the room in my bathrobe. Dean pulled me into his arms and kissed me.

"Hi, baby," I smiled. "Happy Valentine's day!"

"Hi, wifey. Happy Valentine's day to you too," he replied. I giggled at the term.

"Well, it is very possible that I could be rocking some slightly dirty girl lingerie underneath this bathrobe," I said in response to his bathrobe comment.

"Oh," Dean smirked.

"But that is for later," I reminded.

"Yeah, yeah," Dean sighed.

"How was your day?" I asked.

"It was great. It is great… and it's about to get even better," Dean said, looking me up and down. I rolled my eyes playfully. I kissed him once before he pulled away. "Before I forget, these are for you." Dean held up the bouquet of flowers that he had bought.

"Oh, they're beautiful, Dean. I love 'em," I said back.

"I'm glad," he smiled. He pulled me in for a longer, more passionate kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling the two of us closer. Dean's hands went right to the ties on my bathrobe and I stopped him before it could go any further, pulling away.

"Uh uh. I said later," I teased.

"Later shmater," Dean scoffed playfully. "Hey, I made dinner reservations so we should probably get going soon."

I giggled, "Okay. Uh, speaking of those dinner reservations, I have something I'd like to talk you about."

Dean shot me a confused look, "Should I be worried?"

"Not at all. It's good stuff. I promise," I replied. "Alright, I hate to do this but I really should get ready if we're ever going to make that dinner reservation."

"If you must," Dean groaned. "But I need to get ready too. I know that you want it to be a surprise so how about you take the bathroom and I'll change quickly so that you can have your space."

"Oh I don't want to rush you, Dean," I said.

"I'm fine! I'm a guy. We don't take too long to get ready," Dean said.

I giggled in agreement, kissing him once before going back into our bedroom, getting my dress off of the bed, and going into the bathroom. Normally, I'd have no problem changing in front of Dean seeing as he's seen me naked countless amounts of time, but I wanted to it to be a surprised. It was one of the first nights that Dean and I had had out alone and it was definitely one of the first nights in a very long time out on a date. We had just got so wrapped up with parenting that we practically forgot about having dates or anything like that.

I put the finishing touches on of my makeup. I kept it light with just a bit of eyeliner, some mascara, and some lipstick. I then put my hair in a half up, half down 'do and curled the ends. I let it be a little bit sloppy so that pieces of hair in the front framed my face. Lastly, I slipped my dress on and some strappy silver heels before heading out of the room. I could hear the sound of my heels clicking against the wooden floors. I was a little nervous. My mind was racing and I was wondering what Dean would think as soon as he saw me.

"Hey, Dean?" I called from the hall. I could hear the sounds of a commercial but when I called for Dean, I heard the TV go off.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, calling from the living room. I peered into the living room and he stood up, turning around. The minute he saw me, his jaw dropped a little.

"Wow," he said.

"Oh, uh … thanks," I said back, blushing a little.

"You look gorgeous, Mer," Dean said, his eyes lighting up.

"You don't think it's too sexy for a mom?" I asked, feeling a little insecure about it. The dress had a wide V cut in the front and was very sexy. I was afraid that it'd be a little too sexy but right now, it felt like things were just right.

"No uh, you look great," Dean stammered.

"Well, you're looking pretty handsome yourself," I said back.

Dean still looked taken aback and speechless, "Thanks, um, right, well, I guess we should-, if you want, we can… I mean it's close to six so. I'm sorry. Do you want to just go?"

I giggled, "That sounds great."

"You look amazing," Dean said.

"Thank you," I said again.

Dean walked over to me and we held hands as we locked up the house and then left in the Impala for the restaurant. We were going to a place called Minerva's. Dean and I just talked in the car and it was practically like being on a first date. We made small talk and always seemed to laugh together. Dean was still recovering from the tornado I hit him with that was my dress, earlier today. Dean did all the gentlemen-like things he was supposed to do like holding doors from me and everything. It was really sweet. The atmosphere at the restaurant was perfect. It was homey and dimly lit. The cobblestone walls were romantic and it was perfect for Valentine's Day. The waiter sat us down at a table and then came by with wine and two menus to look at. After both Dean and I decided on what we were going to order, we started to really talk.

"Can you believe we've been married for four years now? It seems like just yesterday you were coming home to tell me that you and Sammy were going to take a little bit of hunting break and then you asked me to marry you," I asked, in disbelief.

"I know. It really doesn't feel like it's been four years," Dean said back.

I nodded, "Well, time flies when you get what you wished for."

"Is this what you wished for?" Dean asked, curiously.

"Okay, if I tell you that it's everything and more, will you hold it against me and then shamelessly mock me for the rest of my life?" I asked, dreading his answer.

Dean thought for a moment, "Oh hell yeah."

I giggled, "Well, it is."

Dean smiled, trying to conceal how giddy he was with my answer, "I'm glad. I… was afraid that maybe one day you'd wake up and realize that you should've married someone like Henry. I mean, if you had, things probably wouldn't have been this hard."

"Dean!" I protested.

"Yeah, I know. But something worth fighting for never comes easy, huh?" he asked back. I giggled. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing, it's just uh, I've turned you into a bit of a romantic, haven't I?" I asked, teasingly.

"Oh God, you have!" Dean groaned. I smiled.

"Sorry, babe. I guess that's what happens when you've married for four years, not to mention you have a son," I said.

"Ah, I wonder what Jude is doing tonight. I bet he's charming the pants off of everyone in the café tonight," Dean started.

"I know! God, I'm going to have write Andrea a huge thank you card for watching him tonight. We haven't really been able to do this kind of stuff in a while, have we?" I asked, nudging Dean under the table with my foot.

"Nope. It's kind of nice actually," Dean said back.

"You can say that again," I chuckled.

"Are you ready?" the waiter asked, coming by our table.

"Yeah, sure," I said back. Dean and I both ordered and then waiter left, leaving us to talk. I was a little nervous about what I needed to talk to him about. I figured he'd be okay with it, but at the same time, I didn't want to freak him out.

"Anyways, uh, what did you need to talk to me about?" Dean asked.

"Right," I said, taking a deep breath. It was like he knew I was thinking about it! Damn he was good. "Well, I got the thinking the other day."

"Uh oh," Dean teased.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"I'm kidding, baby," Dean said, rolling his eyes playfully. I laughed a little.

"I guess there's really no dancing around the subject here… do you want have another baby?" I asked, bluntly.

"Uh, yeah, of course," Dean said, a little caught off guard.

"I know that I'm kind of springing this one on you but… I mean… do you want to have another baby now?" I asked.

Dean thought it over which only took him a couple of seconds, "Yeah. Let's do it."

"Really?" I asked, relieved.

"Yeah, of course. Why would you think I'd say no?" Dean asked back.

I shrugged, "I don't know. When I first told you I was pregnant with Jude, you kind of freaked out and, I don't know, maybe you wouldn't be crazy about the idea this go round. Two kids is a lot of work. I mean, one kid is a lot of work as it is!"

"Mer, we were at different points in our life at that time. I was always on the road and I felt like I'd be a terrible father, but we live in a house now and Jude would be three by the time we had the baby and… I want that family that we talked about having before I died," Dean replied, taking my hands in his.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied. He didn't need to try to convince me anymore because I was already sold.

"Okay, well, let's start trying then. How does tonight sound to you?" I asked, a mischievous grin on my face.

"Tonight sounds great, especially the way you look tonight. I don't think I could've gone home without tearing off your clothes and uh-," Dean started.

"Dean, public," I reminded.

"No one's listening. Believe me, it's Valentine's Day and they're all thinking about it," Dean replied.

I smiled, "This is true." I laughed a little.

"What?" Dean asked.

"You really are a family man. I never would've guessed back in the day but here we are. God, you're amazing with Jude. I mean, that kid really looks up to you. I know he wants to be just like you when he grows up," I replied.

"He does?" Dean asked.

"Yeah! You're his dad, Dean," I said back.

Dean chuckled, "I remember the way I used to look at my dad when I was his age. To me he was the king of the world. I remember jumping into his arms the minute he got home from the garage. I know Dad went a little crazy after Mom died, but he did because he loved her. I used to see the way the two of them looked at each other and I remember wanting that same feeling someday."

"What? To have someone look at you the way that your mom looked at your dad?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean shrugged. "Like the way you're looking at me right now." I blushed. "He fucked up our childhood but I don't know if I couldn't say I'd feel the same way he did if something ever happened to you."

"Dean, promise me that if something every happens, you won't drag Jude into this like your dad did to you and Sam," I started.

"Mer, nothing's going to-," Dean started, persistent with the idea that nothing would happen to me.

"But if something did. Promise me, Dean," I said.

Dean took a deep breath, "I promise."

"Look, it's just that your mom never wanted you two to be raised as hunter and you and I have both said that we wouldn't want to do that to Jude and any other future children," I replied.

"Hah, future children. Real subtle, Mer," Dean smirked.

"I'm just excited. That's all," I replied, a sweet smile on my face.

Our food came and Dean and I kept talking. We talked about lighter things than what we had been and I just felt so loved by and in love with Dean. By the end of the night, Dean and I took a walk downtown, just enjoying each others' company.

"Hey, maybe we should get out of her. It's getting late and uh, I thought maybe we could try for that baby for a few hours," Dean winked.

I giggled, "It has been way too long, hasn't it?"

"Yes!" Dean groaned. "It's been like a week, babe. I'm practically starving here!"

"Aw, poor you," I said sarcastically. "You know, that's the other thing about having children. You have to take care of them all the time and then your exhausted and oh, no more time for sex. Are you sure you want to have this second child?"

"Yeah. Besides, think about all the fun we'll having making him or her," Dean smirked, giving me a tight squeeze.

"Okay, let's just go home. I can tell that you won't be able to wait much longer," I said.

"Why are you perfect?" Dean asked leading me to the car.

_"Let's go all the way tonight. No regrets. Just love…"_

We had barely gotten through the door before Dean had attempted to take my dress off. We stumbled through the door, kissing feverishly. Dean hands were all over my body as we stumbled into the bedroom, shutting the door behind us. I guess there was no reason for it seeing as we were the only two in the house tonight but it was out of habit. I tore of Dean's jacket, throwing it to the floor. I fumbled with his tie, throwing that on the floor with the jacket. I feverishly worked at the buttons on his button down shirt as Dean tried to help me with it. The two of us were so desperate to get all the buttons undone it was actually kind of funny. We exchanged laughter before Dean leaned in for yet another hungry, passionate kiss.

"You looked so hot tonight, Mer. This dress is incredible. You're… incredible. But… God, I can't wait to get it off of you," Dean murmured in between kisses.

He unzipped the back and I let it fall to the floor, leaving me in just my underwear since the dress' cut didn't permit a bra and it had a built in one anyway. I felt the back of my knees hit the mattress as Dean led me down to the bed. He ran his hands down my body, caressing both of my breasts with his thumbs, followed by his mouth, kissing his way down my body.

"Dean," I moaned, breathing heavily. Oh God… I knew where this was going. He kissed down my stomach, all the way to my underwear, dragging his tongue across my panty line. Dean removed my panties and threw them behind him. He looked up at me with a mischievous grin before, leaving a trail of kisses on my inner thighs. He separated my legs as I tried to prepare myself for what was about to happen when-

"Oh Dean!" I moaned, as soon as he made contact with my core. Dean's tongue pulled me inside out as he went down on me. He was so good with his mouth. I grabbed a fistful of the bedspread and tried to control myself. I was panting and Dean worked his tongue in and out of me. "Oh… oh… OHH DEAN!" I screamed. He was bringing me higher and higher and then… release. I gave one last moan before Dean came back up to me and just kissed me.

"How'd you like that, baby?" he asked.

"Wow," I said back.

He smirked, "We don't do that very often."

"No, we do not," I said back. "By the way, I'm fully naked."

"I can see that," Dean smirked.

"And you still have pants on… and this is ridiculous," I moaned. I could tell that it was pure lust in my eyes and Dean seemed really turned on by that. I undid the buckle on Dean's pants and unzipped them. Before I could do anything else, Dean grabbed my hand and guided it down to his very hard member. I wrapped my hand around it and Dean groaned.

"See what you do to me, Mer?" Dean asked, swallowing hard.

"Mhm," I said back. I was breathing heavily as well. I removed Dean's pants and he kicked them to the floor. I returned to Dean and he flipped me over onto my back. He leaned down, his forehead pressing against mine and just kissed me as the two of us breathed heavily. The two of us got underneath the sheets before connecting for another kiss. He continued to kiss me over and over again and I could feel him getting harder by the moment. I pushed down his boxers and he kicked those off too, tangling up in our progressively messy bed.

Dean smirked, "Not gonna need condoms tonight, huh?

I shook my head, "Uh uh." Dean wrapped my left leg around his waist and I could feel Dean's teasing my entrance. I moaned loudly.

"What do you need?" Dean asked, dominantly.

"You, I need you Dean," I whispered, breathless. I didn't care how submissive I was being. I needed him badly and he was making it hard to think straight.

"I can't hear you, gorgeous. Do you want me? Need me?" Dean asked.

"Oh God, Dean… Dean… I-, I want you. I need you, Dean," I moaned, my eyes closing. My eyes snapped open the minute he thrust into me hard. Both of us moaned at the long awaited, prolonged contact we both had missed.

"So good," Dean breathed out as he moved in and out of me picking up the pace with each thrust. I thrust my hips upwards to meet his. He grabbed my other leg and wrapped it around his waist as well as we continued. Dean's thrust began to overpower mine as I watched as his eyes grew with lust. Dean had me pinned down on the bed as the bed began to shake. He was really going hard and I was loving every moment of it.

"Dean… oh fuck, Dean!" I moaned loudly.

"Oh Meredith," he breathed out.

Our mouths met with passionate need and we kissed urgently. Dean left kisses on my jaw line and then down my neck, burying his face in the crevice of my neck. He nipped, sucked, and licked as my first orgasm came. I screamed out his name and he fucked me through it, making it last longer. I was dissatisfied that he hadn't come yet. I flipped us over without disconnected and began to move up and down on him at slow, teasing pace.

"I like this position. It's got a view," Dean smirked.

I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully, "I'm glad, babe."

"Oh, Meredith… right there," Dean moaned.

I tried to mimic what I had just done, earning another moan from Dean. Dean held my hips and rocked against me, speeding up our pace. I leaned down, my hair covering both of our faces as I kissed him passionately. Dean's rhythm began to speed up and we were at a whole new angle that it felt ten times better.

"I'm so close, Mer. I want you… no, I need you to come with me," he moaned. I nodded, looking at him and then kissed him again.

"Dean," I whispered. I closed my eyes, feeling on top of the world. Dean guided me, holding my hips tightly. I ran my fingers through my hair, pushing my hair back from my face, only to have it fall right back into place. Dean wrapped an arm around my waist as we got so close. "Dean, I'm going to- oh DEAN!"

"Meredith!" Dean shouted as we both came.

Once we came down from our high, Dean flipped me over and started pounding in me. He was going for one last orgasm. Damn this man was amazing. Our fingers intertwined and I wrapped my legs around his waist, moving with him at his fast, rough pace.

"This what you want?" Dean asked. I nodded. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you."

"Yes!" I moaned out, right as he hit the spot. Dean smirked, as soon as he realized what he had done. Dean thrust quickly, hitting the same spot over and over again that drove me wild. "Dean… oh my God… I'm going to… you're going to make me- OH, you're going to make me lose it!"

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

Dean looked down at the beautiful woman beneath him, screaming his name and writhing beneath him. He would always remember what it felt like to be with her, to make love to her. Dean leaned down to kiss her and grunted as he felt himself getting closer and closer to the edge.

"Shit Mer… God, I love you. Oh fuck. Meredith…" he moaned.

"Dean," she panted out, merciless as if it were a mantra.

_So this is what making love really feels like_, Dean thought to himself. He knew that what they did wasn't just sex. It was special. And this time they weren't just having sex to have sex, but to make a family: to build a family that they always wanted to have.

_Fuck, she's amazing_, he thought. Meredith met his thrusts with her his as she matched his speed. She so got him in and out of bed. She just knew what he was thinking, what he needed. He loved that about her.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

As I met Dean's thrust, I drew little circles with my hips that seemed to drive Dean wild.

"Right there, Mer. Yes, Oh God yes," Dean moaned.

"Dean, I'm-," I started.

"I know… me too," Dean said.

The both of us came at the same time, moaning and screaming each others' names. It was the most amazing feeling. We were so in sync and damn, was Dean amazing in bed. How the hell did I get so lucky? Finally, Dean and I collapsed on the bed next to each other, breathless.

"Wow," I said.

"You can say that again," Dean said back. We were trying to catch our breath and lay there in silence for a little while.

"You are so amazing," I said to Dean, breaking the silence and laying my head on his chest. I felt high right now.

"Mer…" Dean smirked.

"So do you think I'm pregnant yet?" I asked, playfully.

Dean laughed and I could feel the vibrations in his chest, "You are a trip you know that?"

"What?" I asked back.

"Mer, I have no idea! How long does it take to get pregnant?" Dean asked.

I shrugged, "Good question, seeing as our first pregnancy was unplanned."

"Mmmm, you know, I remember when you used to be all hunting comes first and everything. Gosh, things were different back then. The sex was still this good… but things were still different," I said.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked. "Oh God, I can't believe you remember those days. I was so angsty back then. And stubborn."

"Hah! Back then? You still are stubborn!" I demanded.

"Am not!" Dean protested.

I looked up at Dean, propping myself up so that I could face him. "Are too! Hah, you were talking about how Sammy didn't want to be a hunter and you were all: family comes first and I get to go on hunts by myself and I'm such a bad ass… and I'm Dean… so whatever." I said, pretending to be angsty teenage Dean.

Dean laughed, "Oh God, that's embarrassing… and really scary how well you do impressions of me."

"I'm your wife. I'm supposed to do good impressions of you," I said.

Dean smiled, "But never again."

I chuckled, "Okay." I lay my head back down on his chest and just took a deep breath. This was good. We always laughed together. We were good together.

"You know, I feel like we should have a song for this moment. Just something to remember this by… a song that we can hear on the radio randomly one day and smile because we think of this… and tonight," I said.

"Okay. Well, here's your iPod. What do you say we hit shuffle and let fate do the choosing?" Dean proposed.

"Sounds good," I said.

Dean reached over with his left arm and hit the shuffle button on my iPod. "We Will Rock You" by Queen came blaring from the speakers.

"Um, no! This is not our song for this moment. This is so not romantic!" I protested.

"Fine," Dean said, changing the song. Next, was a John Mayer song.

"Oh hell no. Way too sappy," Dean said, changing the song way before I could even say anything. The sweet sounds of Over the Hills and Far Away by Led Zeppelin came blaring through the speakers. "Dean and I exchanged glances. I think we found ourselves a song."

"Me too," I said back in agreement. Dean and I just lay there in silence, listening to the song.

_Hey Lady, you got the love I need,  
>May Be, more than enough.<br>Oh, Darlin', Darlin', Darlin', walk a while with me,  
>Oh, you got so much, so much, so much.<em>

_Many have I loved, and many times been bitten,_  
><em>many times I've gazed along the open road.<em>

_Many times I've lied and many times I've listened,_  
><em>many times I've wondered how much there is to know.<em>

_Many dreams come true and some have silver linings_  
><em>I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold.<br>_  
>Dean's breathing got heavier as the song progressed and I had feeling that he was falling asleep. "Hey, Dean? You still awake?" I asked, once the song was over.<p>

"Yeah," he mumbled.

"Happy Valentine's Day," I said.

"Happy Valentine's Day to you too," he said back.

"God, I love this song. Can we play it again? I just happen to find it incredibly sexy," I suggested.

"Hm, funny, because I happen to find it incredibly sexy too. You know what else I find incredibly sexy? You. So… uh… how about we give this baby making thing another try," Dean smirked.

"Oh God. I shouldn't have brought it up," I groaned, playfully.

"I love you, Meredith Winchester," Dean said.

"I love you too, Dean," I said back.

"_You make me feel like I'm living a teenage dream, the way you turn me on. I can't sleep. Let's run away and don't ever look back…"_


	9. Exile On Main Street

Author's Note: Some time hopping going on in this chapter. Did anyone go back and read Chapter 22 of "For the First Time" just out of curiosity? Also, for those that celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas! The drink that Dean gets with Bill is the drink that he gets in episode 1 of season 6 where the djinn poisons him and he thinks he sees a hunt… Sam and Dean's scene has dialogue taken from the episode – **DISCLAIMER**!

A shout out to lillieknux21 for sending me a message and Dancing Dynasty (aka animefreak155), 0netflixme0, and allmusic1 for commenting as well. I've given shout outs to almost everyone by now for commenting and giving me feedback (I hope). It really does help me so much! Thanks a bunch and happy reading.

* * *

><p>It was April and finally starting to warm up here in Sioux Falls. Sawyer was finally moved in and her publishing company was taking off. They had a couple of manuscripts as of now and were trying to work on as much as they could. Molly and Ethan were happily married and doing the whole doctorfashion designer power couple thing. It was really cute. Dean and I on the other hand were still trying to get pregnant. I had just finished up teaching at school and came home to take yet another test. Jude was asleep at the moment. He had come right home from the café after I picked him up and fell right asleep. I had the baby monitor on in the bedroom just in case he woke up though. God, if I wasn't pregnant this time, I didn't know what I'd do. Dean and I were having tons of sex for the past two months, not that I was complaining and neither was he, but nothing had happened yet.

I took the test and then waited. It'd two minutes. How long could two minutes be? I remembered how two minutes felt like forever the last time I took one of these. I went back into Dean and I's bedroom and got a magazine in order to distract myself but every time I stopped pushing it out of my mind all I could think about was the test.

I attempted to read an article in the magazine but I couldn't focus. I eyed the bed carefully. Perhaps if I just jumped on the bed, I'd be able to take my mind off of things and get all the nervous energy out. Besides, jumping on the bed was a fun past time I left back in my childhood that I was starting to miss a lot at the moment. I hopped up on the bed and started to jump. I smiled.

"Hey, this is fun," I said aloud to myself. I jumped up and down and the bed creaked each time I jumped on it. Suddenly, I heard a beeping sound and knew it was the test. I jumped off the bed and practically ran into the bathroom. I looked at the test and wide grin spread across my face as I saw the plus sign, displayed on the test. I was pregnant.

"Yes, yes, yes!" I cheered at a whisper. I knew it was bad, but what better way to celebrate than jumping on the bed? I hopped back on the bed and started jumping again, giddy with joy. I giggled, jumping up and down. "Yes!"

"Meredith, what's that noise?" I heard a voice ask followed by the sound of the front door closing. I heard Dean's footsteps come towards the bedroom and he opened the door to the bedroom to reveal me jumping on the bed.

"Meredith Isobel Winchester, you get down here this instant before your break the box spring!" Dean demanded in the most parent-like voice he could muster up.

"Oooh, Daddy's mad. We don't have a box spring, you silly goose," I replied playfully, before sticking my tongue out at him.

"Silly goose? I'm not the one jumping up and down on the bed! Why are you jumping up and down on the bed anyways?" Dean asked. It was now or never.

"We're having a baby! We're having a baby!" I cheered jumping up and down. I could barely believe.

"Wait, really?" Dean asked.

"Uh huh," I said back, nodding and continuing to jump.

"Oh my God, Mer! We're having a baby?" he asked.

"We're having a baby!" I exclaimed back. Dean grinned.

"I'm going to be a dad again!" he said, in disbelief. I nodded before jumping off the bed and into Dean's arms, wrapping my legs around his waist. "I got you, Mer."

"It's nice to know you always will," I smiled. I leaned in and kissed him once. Dean put me down and I returned to the bed.

"You got that right," Dean said back. Dean held my face in his hands and then kissed me again. "We're having a baby, Mer! Holy shit!"

"I know, right?" I asked, laughing.

"When did you find out?" Dean asked.

"Today. I came home and took a test not long before you came home actually. We did it, Dean. We're going to have another baby," I smiled.

He nodded, "We really are, aren't we?" He kissed me one more time before I laid back down on the bed and Dean took of his jacket.

"So Jude is asleep but I thought we could tell him at dinner tonight or something," I started.

"Yeah, let's do that. But what about when he asks, you know, how babies are made. Are we really going to tell him about that already? He's not even three, Mer," Dean asked, nervously.

"I guess we can kind of evade the subject for now maybe until he's a little older. I don't even think he'll even be able to remember and will probably ask again when he's five," I answered.

Dean nodded, "I guess so. I don't know. I don't want to lie to him though." He undid his belt buckle on his jeans and took off his flannel, leaving him in a t-shirt and half undone jeans.

"Yeah. I guess we'll see where it goes when we- Ooh, are you getting undressed?" I asked.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" Dean asked back.

"No… as long as I get to watch," I smirked. Dean laughed as he took his shirt off and walked closer to the bed. "Or you could come over here and try to help me break the box spring." Dean tossed his shirt on the floor and climbed on top of me, all shirtless and sexy.

"We don't have a box spring, you silly goose," He mocked.

I stuck my tongue at him. "Hey, you're going to have to find a better place for that, you know."

"Oh yeah? Like where?" I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

"How about here?" Dean smirked, leaning in and kissing me. "I figured we could celebrate our new baby."

"Sounds good to me," I smiled back at him. I wrapped my arms around Dean's neck and he deepened the kiss. It's a good thing that Jude was taking a nap.

* * *

><p>Towards the end of May, Dean and I had our first check up on the baby. I was about eight weeks along and everything was fine. The ultrasound didn't show much but it did let us know that the baby was fine and coming along great.<p>

My eyes fluttered open as I began to wake up. Dean's arm was draped around me as he slept on the pillow. It was really sunny today. The alarm hadn't gotten up and I hated being up. Why did I wake up early anyway? And that's when it hit me. I felt awful. I felt like I was about to puke my insides out. I groaned before getting up and running for the bathroom, collapsing in front of the toilet and throwing up. Ughhh, I hate morning sickness. I ran a hand through my hair before throwing up again. I flushed the toilet when I was done and wiped my mouth of. I rinsed my mouth out a couple of times with water before brushing my teeth.

"Hey, babe, you okay?" Dean asked, coming into the bathroom.

I nodded and spit toothpaste out, rinsing my tooth brush off, "Yeah, just morning sickness. Nothing new…" It was quite cynical the way I said things but I was getting annoyed with having to throw up every morning.

"I'm sorry," Dean said, kissing my cheek. "Anything I can do to help?"

"Nope," I said. I shot Dean a look. "Why are you so chipper this morning?"

"I don't know. Just feels like a good morning, I guess," he said back. Dean moved to take his boxers off which got my attention.

"Are you taking a shower?" I asked, as he ran the water.

"Yeah, you gonna come join me?" Dean smirked, dropping his boxers onto the floor and going into the bathroom.

"Right after I finish brushing my teeth!" I said back, my toothbrush in my mouth so it was barely audible.

"So close no matter how far/ couldn't be much more from the heart/ forever trusting who we are/ and nothing else matters," Dean sang. I giggled as he started singing in the shower. He, of course, went on to the second verse. "Never opened myself this way/ life is ours, we live it our way/ all these words I don't just say/ and nothing else matters." By the time Dean was done with the second verse, I finished brushing my teeth. I lay my toothbrush on the counter of the sink and then stealthily opened the sliding shower door before stepping in behind Dean.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were singing a love song, Mr. Winchester," I said, wrapping my arms around his wet, naked body.

"Well it's a good thing you know better because it's not like I was singing a Metallica love song or anything," he said sarcastically.

"Metallica's only love song, if that makes it manlier," I added.

Dean smiled, "You feeling any better?"

"I am now," I said back.

"I'm glad," Dean said, leaning down and kissing me.

"How was your drink with Bill last night?" I asked.

"Alright. I guess it's always good to get to know the neighbors. He seems oddly interested in our past. Where we came from and stuff… I didn't really know what to tell him so I tried to keep the details to a minimum," Dean replied.

I nodded slowly, "Well, both Bill and Nora seem to be great. Maybe we should go to that block party that they're holding at the end of the month." Dean shrugged, contemplating it a little bit.

"Hey, I'll be home early today. They don't need me as much and I have tomorrow off so I can stay home with Jude," Dean said.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" I asked. I didn't want to force him into being Mr. Mom or anything.

"Yeah, of course, babe. I mean, I'll end up watching a combination of Wonderpets and the Backyardigans all day but hey, I have a son and he loves that stuff!" Dean said.

I giggled. He was an amazing dad, "Well, thank you. I promise, once school's out, I'll be able to stay home with the both of you and we can both endure the wonderpets with Jude. Hah, do you remember when he used to watch those baby Einstein videos when he was younger?"

"Yeah… You do know I always put it on mute and played Led Zeppelin right?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I do. And look where it's got us now?" I teased.

Dean chuckled, "I think our son is pretty darn smart. Hey, maybe that whole 'classical music enhances a child's intelligence' thing is a lie. Maybe what enhances a kid's ability is rock music. Too bad they don't make baby Led Zeppelin…"

"Dean," I groaned.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. You're just going to make it incredibly hard to just shower with you this morning," I admitted.

"Who said anything about just showering?" Dean asked, snaking his hands around my waist and pulling my close to him. I bit my lip.

"I can't. I'm sorry. I've got to go to work," I said back.

Dean sighed, "Yeah, I know. But that doesn't mean we have to just shower. A couple of minutes over the normal time wouldn't be that bad."

"I guess I could stay and uh… kiss a while," I smirked.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked.

I nodded, before standing on my tiptoes and crashing my lips against Dean's. Oh God… these hormones were killing me. Dean cupped my face in one of his hands while tangling the other in my hair. "Dean… we… I've got to get ready for work and…"

"Stay a bit… kiss a while…" Dean tempted.

Damn it.

* * *

><p><strong>~3rd Person POV~<strong>

Dean's vision was blurry as he opened his eyes. He didn't know where he was and it was starting to freak him out as he began to fade into consciousness. The room was dark and he was on a cot. Across from him there was a figure sitting in a chair… just watching him. He blinked a couple of times and saw… Sam? But it couldn't be. His eyes widened and he sat up quickly.

"Hey, Dean," Sam said. Dean stared in disbelief and confusion. Sam chuckled a little. "I was expecting a, I don't know, a hug, some holy water in the face… something." Sam got up and walked towards Dean. Dean was speechless. He honestly had nothing to say. Words couldn't describe the way he was feeling or what he was seeing at the moment. No, this wasn't real. He must've been dead. Sam wasn't alive.

"So I'm dead?" Dean asked, swallowing hard. Sam laughed again. "This is heaven? Yellow eyes killed me? Oh shit… Meredith… I have to go back, Sammy. I have to tell her before-."

"Yellow eyes? That's what you saw?" Sam asked.

"What do you mean 'that's what I saw'?" Dean asked back.

"You were poisoned, Dean… by a djinn so whatever kind of crazy crap you think you've been seeing, it's not real," Sam replied in a very 'matter of fact' way. Dean thought back to all of the clues he thought he had been seeing.

"So are you… real or am I still-," Dean started, really confused now.

"I'm real," Sam interrupted. "Here, let me save you the trouble. Sam did all of the tests. Cut himself with a silver knife, drank whole water, the whole nine yards. Dean couldn't believe his eyes. He stood up and looked at Sam.

"Sammy?" he asked, hopefully. This was his Sammy. His brother was back.

"Yeah, it's me," Sam replied. Dean walked towards him cautiously but he could feel it. He could trust Sam. This was his brother. He pulled him into a tight hug.

"So how did you-," Dean started, pulling away from Sam. "Did Cas do this? How the hell are you out, man? Oh thank God, Sammy!"

"I don't know. He hasn't been answering any of my prayers. I mean… I was down there and then the next minute I'm lying in a field alone. It's kind of hard to find whatever saved you when you've got no leads but I've looked. Believe me, I looked… for weeks!" Sam explained.

"Wait, what do you mean for weeks?" Dean exclaimed. "How long you been out?"

Sam sighed. He knew his brother wasn't going to take this well, "about a year."

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, taken aback. "Sammy, did you lose your ability to send a freakin' text message or something when you got out?"

"Dean, you got a normal life. You have Meredith and you have Jude. You have a family that you've wanted for some time now and a family that I think you've probably wanted from the beginning but never admitted to because of the way we live!" Sam exclaimed.

"I wanted my brother alive!" Dean shouted. Dean turned around and tried to collect himself. Sam sighed.

"Look, man, I'm sorry, but it felt like after everything you deserved some regular life," Sam said.

When Dean finally turned back around to look at Sam he asked, "What've you been doing all this time?"

"Hunting," Sam answered simply.

"Alone?" Dean asked, alarmed.

"No, I hooked up with some people," Sam said.

"So… you've been hunting with a bunch of strangers?" Dean exclaimed.

"Nope. They're more like family," Sam replied. Dean shot him a confused look. "Come on. They're here now. I want you to meet them."

**~End 3rd Person POV~**

"Meredith! Meredith!" I heard Dean yelling from inside the house.

"Hey, baby, come here for a second," I said, nervously. Dean sounded panicked and I was afraid of what was to come when I opened the door. I picked Jude up and held him in my arms as I went into the house. I opened the door only to reveal and panting and panicked Dean in the hallway. "Oh my God, you're here!"

"Yeah, I just picked Jude up from Bobby's. What's going on, Dean?" I asked.

"Demons bad?" Jude asked.

Dean sighed, "Well, we're going to have to go back to Bobby's then."

"Dean, wait. Slow down. Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on first?" I asked back. Just then, I saw something I never thought I'd see. Sam poked his head into the hallway checking up on the two of us. "Dean?" I looked at him, wide eyed. He nodded.

"He's the real deal, Mer. It's him," Dean said back.

"Oh my God," I gasped.

"Hey," Sam smiled accompanied with a small wave.

"I'll take him," Dean said, addressing Jude.

I nodded, "Okay." I handed Jude to Dean and then practically charged over to Sam. "Sam!" I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Hi, Meredith," he said.

The two of us pulled away and I looked from Sam to Dean.

"So are either of you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked.

* * *

><p>Dean was fuming and had gone up to my old room that I had at Bobby's in high school. He just sat there on the bed, trying not to freak out. Dean had filled me on what was going on and about Sam's return on the way here. He was furious to find out that Bobby had known all this time. Jude was downstairs with Bobby and Sam right now but he and I were up here.<p>

"You want to talk?" I asked, breaking the silence.

"Not really," Dean said back.

"I'm sorry, Dean. It was a really shitty thing to do in my opinion," I started.

"You know? He could've just at least called! This whole time I thought he was dead. You'd think he'd have the heart to give me a little peace of mind? It was working. I'd hunt and you'd come along sometimes but it was working. He… god damnit. He shouldn't have kept it from me," Dean vented.

I nodded, "I know." I sighed. I could tell that this was an emotional roller coaster for Dean and that he was probably going insane right now. I just wanted to be here for him in any way that I could.

"Sam's been hunting with some family. Some people on Mom's side that we didn't know about. And uh… Grandpa Samuel is back too," Dean said.

"Wait, your mom's dad?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Dean said back.

"Wow," I said.

"It sounds pretty unreal, huh?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "So when are we leaving?"

"We? Mer, you can't come along," Dean said.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Meredith, you're pregnant," Dean said.

"But Dean! I'm pregnant! I'm not incapacitated!" I protested.

"Please, Mer. Just stay with Jude this time. Sit it out this time. It would really keep me from worrying," Dean pleaded. I knew that as of now, this was what I could do for him.

I took a deep breath, "Alright, fine. But I'm in on the next one, okay? Promise?"

Dean sighed, "Fine." I held out my pinky and he took it, pinky swearing.

"We should probably get going. You've got to save the world and uh, I've got to go make sure that our son isn't freaking out," I started.

Dean nodded, "Alright, yeah." I could tell that he was really disconnected but I understood why. The two of us went downstairs and into the living room where we'd have to separate. I hated having to stay out of hunts. They made me worry about Dean and I hated feeling useless like this.

Later that night, once it was clear for Jude and me to come home, we did.

"Hey, you," I said, handing Sam a beer. He gladly took it and took a swig of the beer. Dean was putting Jude to sleep and it was just Sam and I.

"Hey," Sam said back. "You're doing a great job with my nephew there. I heard his first word, well, his first phrase was 'demons bad'."

I chuckled, "Yeah. How've you been?"

"Alright, I guess," Sam shrugged.

"Dean really misses you," I said.

Sam sighed, "I know."

Just then, Dean came back into the living room, "He's fast asleep. I guess today's excitement wore him out."

"Guess so," I added.

"Hey, Mer, I'm going to walk Sammy out, okay?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "Okay." I kissed him once before he and Sam left the house together. I could see them through the window just talking. Sam got into his car and then drove off, leaving Dean just standing on the driveway. Damn, we had had one hell of a day.


	10. Two and a Half Men

**Author's Note:**I hope you all had great holidays! Alright, so I know that season 6 supposedly takes place in 2010-2011 but there's a one year gap between season 5 and 6 so I'm honoring that gap. This takes place 2011-2012. Also, I'm taking creative license and saying that Two and a Half Men is about a couple of days right after Exile on Main Street. Thanks!

P.S. Sam and Dean's scene has some of the actual dialogue from the episode – Disclaimer!

* * *

><p>Dean threw a couple more things into his duffel bag as I lay on the bed reading a magazine. I lay on my stomach, as I flipped through the pages. I loved reading good, super girly magazines, like Cosmopolitan or Marie Claire, when I was bored. I was about halfway through the magazine. Dean seemed nervous and I figured if I calmly read my magazine, it would not contribute to his nerves.<p>

"Babe, what're you looking for?" I asked, as I could hear Dean pacing around the room.

"My favorite knife. It's the one with-," Dean started.

"Top right drawer," I said automatically, immediately knowing which knife he was talking about. Dean opened the drawer and I heard him whistle.

"Knife if the underwear drawer?" Dean asked. I looked up from my magazine and saw him smirking.

I shrugged, simply, "Just in case, you know?"

"That's totally hot," Dean sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

"Anything else you need?" I asked.

"I don't think so. Man, you're seem very okay with this. You're almost a little too happy the hunt. Why is that?" Dean asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Look, Dean I get it. I, myself, would be very psyched to go kick some demon ass after a year's retirement! I get bored sometimes," I replied, simply. Dean smirked. "And I know it'd kill you for me to ask you to stay. You need to be out there with your brother. I can tell you've really missed him. Both Jude and I understand so there's really nothing holding you back. You know very well I can hold my own back here, even if something does attack – which it won't! I mean, if you really don't want to go-."

"Hey, I never said anything about that," Dean interrupted.

I giggled, "I know, babe."

"God, why is my wife so cool?" Dean asked, pulling me into him.

I shrugged simply, "I don't know. Can I ask you about something? I know you have a lot on your plate but I've been thinking about it a lot lately."

"Yeah, shoot," Dean said, stopping his packing.

"So uh… when are we going to tell everyone about Sam and… the baby?" I asked, biting my lip. "Look, I don't want to push or anything but I hate to do that everyone, especially Sawyer. You know how they've always been. Telling our friends about the baby is the last of my worries but… Sam… that's kind of big thing to keep hidden."

Dean sighed, "I know. We've just been caught up in a lot and it just hasn't felt like the right time."

"Yeah," I sighed as well.

"How about when I get back?" Dean asked.

"ReallY? I mean, are you sure it's not too much?" I asked back.

"I'm sure," Dean replied. "Hey, I know it kind of sucks this whole 'me going away' thing. I'll try not to make a habit of it. I promise."

"I know you don't want to but it's okay, Dean! Besides, it makes coming home kind of sexy," I smirked.

"This is true," Dean smirked. "Look, I just worry about you guys. Before this and us… I didn't have to worry about anything when going away but now I have a gorgeous wife and an amazing son to lose."

"You're not gonna," I reassured.

Dean smiled, "Damn, why do you always look so sexy right before I'm about to go?"

I giggled, "Oh I don't know. Just a little reminder of what you have to come home to." I then pulled Dean in for a slow, romantic, teasing kiss.

"Mm, I can't wait to get back," Dean smirked.

"Good. Now go save the world, Dean Winchester and call me if you need anything," I said.

"I will," Dean said back. Dean zipped up his duffel bag and the picked it up off the bed. I got off the bed and put my magazine down, following Dean out of our room and into the hallway. He set his duffel bag down right by the door and then stood up straight to face me. This was goodbye for now. God, it was so weird to be back here again.

"Daddy!" I heard Jude yell as he ran down the hallway as fast as his small, but quickly growing, legs could take him. Dean bent down a little to catch Jude and Jude jumped into his father's arms, wrapping his arms immediately around Dean's neck and burying his face into his father's jacket.

"Hey, little man. I've got to go, okay?" Dean asked.

"Coming back?" Jude asked, looking up at his dad in admiration and wonder. I smiled at the sight of the two.

"Of course, buddy. Of course I'm coming back. You just have to take care of your Mommy while I'm gone though. Make sure she's not too sad and that your future brother or sister is going alright too, okay? You're the man of the house while I'm gone, you hear me?" Dean requested.

Jude nodded, smiling, "Yeah! Imma have a brother!"

"Sweetie, it doesn't really work that way," I chuckled.

Jude shook his head, "Nope. Brother."

"Be good for your Mommy, you promise me?" Dean asked.

"Yes, Daddy," Jude replied.

"Alright, kiddo, I really do I have to go now," Dean said, reluctantly attempting to part from his son. I crossed my arms over my chest, taking a deep breath in.

"I don't want Daddy to go," Jude pouted.

"I know, but I'll be back in no time. You're going to Bobby's tonight right?" Dean asked. Jude nodded. "See? You're going to have so much fun at Grandpa Bobby's that you're going to forget that I'm even gone."

"You have to go?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I do. I'm sorry, buddy," Dean replied.

"It's okay," Jude replied, a little bit sad.

"I love you, kiddo," Dean said, kissing him on the top of the head.

"I love you too," Jude replied. He hugged his dad once more before Dean put him down. Now it was my turn.

"Hey," I said.

"Hi," Dean said back.

"Be careful out there, alright? And call, please," I started.

"Yeah, Daddy. Call!" Jude exclaimed, his eyes lighting up.

"I will," Dean chuckled.

"I'll miss you," I said.

"You too. Can you believe we're back here?" Dean asked.

I shook my head, "Nope, but we are. You should go though. You've got to go meet Sam and you kinda said you'd leave like an hour ago."

"Wow, trying to get rid of me already?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, the mailman will be here in a couple of minutes," I teased.

Dean laughed, "Hey, tell that mailman that you're mine, Meredith Winchester." I giggled and then pulled him into a passionate goodbye kiss. Dean reluctantly pulled away, knowing that he really did need to go. "I love you, you know that?"

"Good to know since I love you back," I replied. He smiled and then kissed me one more time before getting his duffel bag and standing up. Jude and I followed Dean out and watched as he got in the impala while Jude and I stood on the porch together. I picked up Jude in my arms and held him. The car engine started up and Dean was off.

"Mama, Daddy coming back?" Jude asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, he's gonna come back, buddy. But look, don't be sad, okay? How about you and I go over to Grandpa Bobby's?"

"Okay," Jude accepted.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

Dean hummed "Smoke on the Water" to Bobby John, the baby they were protecting on the case, as he patted him on the back. This usually worked for Jude when Meredith was in desperate need of sleep and Jude wouldn't stop crying. Sam laughed as he flipped through their case file.

"Dean, you're just going to make him cranky again," Sam said.

"Shhh, I'm trying here," Dean said to Sam. He returned his attention to Bobby John. "Alright, if I put you down are you going to be a man about it?" Dean cautiously put Bobby John down in the crib and was relieved to find that Bobby John didn't start crying again. The baby just closed his eyes, falling asleep. Sam shot Dean an amused look.

"Huh," Sam sounded.

"What?" Dean asked back.

"You're just uh… not awful at that," Sam replied.

"Dude, I'm barely keepin' that thing alive," Dean said in defiance.

"No, no, no! You've got that whole… Dr. Huxtible thing going on. Total father material," Sam observed.

"Well, I kind of have to be if you haven't noticed… I've got my own kid now, Sammy. It's, you know, sink or swim," Dean said, going over to the kitchen area in their motel room and pouring himself some liquor.

"How is it, with Jude?" Sam asked.

"The kid's great. He's funny and charming… he's like me!" Dean said, half jokingly at the end.

"Wow, I hope he inherited your modesty quality too," Sam replied sarcastically.

Dean took a drink, "Funny, Sammy. Mer and I couldn't ask for anything else though. It's weird and a lot of work and it makes you worry a lot but uh, it's all worth it. You know, I think about the way we were raised and, I just feel like I'm getting a chance to something different."

"You sure about that?" Sam asked.

"What?" Dean asked, defensively.

"Look, you're clearly a great father to him," Sam started.

"But?"

"But what happens when something follows you home? Jude already knows about demons. I mean, his first sentence was 'demons bad'!" Sam finished.

"Look, Meredith and I had a talk about this. We're not going to shove him into this life. If he wants to when he grows up, okay maybe, but we both agreed that it'd be safe and better in the long run if he grew up knowing about what's out there," Dean replied.

Sam shrugged, "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

There was a silence between them and Dean drank some more of his alcohol.

"She's pregnant again…. Meredith is," Dean finally said, breaking the silence. Sam looked up from his files.

"Oh… wow, uh, congratulations," Sam said, taken off guard.

"Look, you and I both know that Meredith can kick some serious demon ass," Dean said.

"Yeah, I know, Dean," Sam replied. Dean sighed. He was just coming with a justification. Was he wrong to have a family? No! Then why did he feel so guilty…

Dean nodded slowly, "Do you think this is a bad idea? Trying to start a family in the midst of… all of this?"

Sam sighed, "I don't know, Dean." The words were eating away at Dean. Was this a mistake? But they were too far gone. They were having a family. Dean loved his family. He loved his wife and his son, but he felt so torn.

The two brothers returned to a silence until it was Sam this time that broke it, "I can't believe I missed this. There's a house on Elm street. The mother was killed, the baby was taken, and Daddy wasn't living in the house at the time so he's still alive. Why don't you say we go and have a little chat?"

"I say let's," Dean said, sitting up. He didn't want to think about this anymore.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"You want a beer?" Bobby asked me.

"Uh, no thanks," I replied. Bobby gave me a strange look before putting the beer he had already taken out, back in the fridge. I normally would've said yes, so maybe that was why he seemed a little weirded out.

"I put Jude in the living room and he's watching TV. Thought maybe you and I could have a talk," Bobby said.

"What kind of talk?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows out of a little bit of confusion.

"Oh it's nothing. Just thought we could talk about how you're doing with all of this. Dean's back into hunting. Sam's back. It's a huge adjustment," Bobby started.

I shrugged, "I mean, yeah it is. But I get why he has to go and I want him to. I know he wants to…"

"His brother means a lot to him, Meredith," Bobby said.

"I know, Bobby. It's okay. I'm okay with it. I promise," I reassured. "Hey, do you have any more of those potatoes? I feel like I could eat the whole batch myself!"

"Yeah, I do," Bobby said, getting up from the table and going over to the refrigerator. He got out the plastic container and got a bowl out of the cabinet.

"Oh, it's okay, I've got it," I said, getting up. "I'm sure, Bobby." I spooned the mashed potatoes into the bowl and then reheated them in the microwave. Once they were done, I took them back to the table and sat down. "Oh my God, I'm starving!"

"Mer, how can you be starving? We ate a little over an hour ago," Bobby asked.

I shrugged, "Growth spurt or something." Bobby shot me a suspicious look. "Kidding… because, you know, I've reached way past that age… Hah." God, I was not going to be able to keep this a secret. Oh no…

"You're not drinking; you're eating twice as much as you usually do, and Dean's said that you've been getting sick lately. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were pregnant," Bobby finally said. I took a bite of my potatoes and then swallowed. I took a sip of the water in my glass and then looked up at him. He immediately knew the minute he looked into my eyes.

"Guilty," I said, meekly.

"How long have you known?" Bobby asked.

"I'm eight weeks along. I know, I know, I should've told you but things have gotten so crazy lately and we weren't exactly telling anyone. Dean wanted to find a right time and we were going to tell everyone after he got back but uh… surprise?" I rambled.

"Oh, Mer, that's great," Bobby smiled.

"You think? You don't think this is a totally bad time and that we're making a mistake?" I asked, nervously.

"No… well, I mean… the timing could've been better but if you're eight weeks along you weren't exactly thinking that Sam would come back from the dead when you two were uh… getting pregnant," Bobby said, awkwardly. I blushed, feeling awkward. "But my point is, there's never really going to be a right time for it."

"Oh, thank you for being okay with this, Bobby. You don't know what a relief it is to hear you say that," I sighed.

"That's my job, kiddo. No, I really do think it's great. That boy needs some good news and stability in his life, especially now that things have gotten hectic," Bobby assured.

"I'm worried about him, Bobby. He seems so worried about everything and I just want to tell him that it's all going to be alright. But we don't know that, you know?" I asked.

"Dean is always going to worry way too much," Bobby replied.

"I know," I groaned.

"Sometimes, I just feel like he's carrying the weight of the world on his back and I have no idea what to do for him. I don't even know if there's anything I can do for him," I admitted.

Bobby nodded, "You already do it. You give him a family and a home to come to – something he didn't have before. I think he goes home to you and he feels better. Now, I'm not saying he stops worrying because he never stops worrying, but the two of you make him happy. Hell, he's been happier than I've ever seen him as just a hunter."

"Thanks, Bobby. Ahhh, how do you know everything that I need to hear?"I asked.

"It's a gift. Plus, I raised you, Dean, Sam, and Sawyer so after a while you get a hang of the whole surrogate dad thing," Bobby chuckled.

I smiled, "You know we're all really grateful for you. That's why Jude's middle name is Robert."

"Oh, you're going to get all mushy on me now, aren't you?" Bobby groaned.

"I already did," I replied, laughing a little.

Just then, Jude ran into the room and came over to me, pulling on my hands.

"Mama! Come watch TV with me," he pleaded.

I smiled, "Alright, baby. Go ahead in and I'll meet you in the living room, okay? I hope you were just watching The Wiggles and that you weren't doing any browsing in Bobby's books."

Jude smiled a guilty mischievous smile before running back into the living room.

"Thanks, Bobby," I said.

"It's no problem. I'm going to finish cleaning up in here and then I'll come join you two," Bobby said.

"Are you sure you don't want any help. I could tell Jude that-," I started.

"No, go be with your son," Bobby encouraged.

"Okay," I said, before going into the living room. "Jude Robert Winchester, you better not be reading any demon books, you got that?"

"Uh oh," Jude said, hiding one of Bobby's book under a couch pillow.

"Oh, what's that?" I asked, finding it immediately.

"I like look at pictures," Jude shrugged innocently.

"Jude, I told you not to and since you broke my no demon book rule, do you know what that means?" I asked.

"Oh no!" Jude exclaimed.

"Tickle monster!" I shouted, before tickling Jude. Jude squirmed on the couch laughing.

"No more tickle monster!" Jude laughed.

"Alright, alright, but no more monster books okay?" I asked.

"Okay," Jude sighed.

"What're we watching now?" I asked.

Jude shrugged, "Let's see, Mama." Jude touched the buttons to the remote with his little fingers, hitting each button with his index finger. He was so tiny. I couldn't believe that one day he'd be a full grown man – most likely a hunter.

* * *

><p>That night, Jude and I got home after dinner at Bobby's and Jude was getting sleepy.<p>

"Baby, you should go to bed, okay?" I asked.

"Not sleepy!" Jude protested.

"Are you sure? You seem kind of tired to me," I replied.

"Wait up for Daddy," Jude said.

I nodded, "Okay." And right on cue, my cell phone rang. "This is him now." I hit the talk button and answered the call.

"Hi," I said.

"Hey, Mer," Dean said back.

"How are you?" I asked.

"Good. We're about to go to sleep but I figured I'd call and check up on you guys," Dean said. "How was dinner?"

"Great. Uh… Bobby kind of figured out the whole pregnant thing so he knows," I said.

"Oh, okay," Dean replied.

"How's the hunt?" I asked.

"It's good. But get this, Mer. I never would've thought I'd see the day but uh… shapeshifter baby," Dean replied.

"You're hunting a shapeshifter baby?" I exclaimed.

"No! We're looking after a shapeshifter baby," Dean replied.

"Wow uh… that's… yep, haven't heard that one," I said back.

"Speaking of children, how's Jude?" Dean asked, changing the subject.

"He's good and he won't go to sleep until he speaks to you. Do you mind?" I asked.

"Of course not," Dean replied.

I handed the phone over to Jude and he smiled taking it, "Hi."

"Hey, little man. I hear you're giving your Mom a hard time," Dean started.

"Uh uh," Jude shook his head. I laughed. He was adorable. "Daddy ok?"

"Yes, Daddy's okay," Dean reassured.

"Love Daddy," Jude replied.

"I love you too, buddy," Dean said back, smiling. "Hey, do you think I can talk to your mom a little bit more. I miss you guys."

"Okay," Jude said, before handing the phone back to me. "Daddy want to talk you!"

"Okay. Why don't we both go upstairs and you can put on your pj's while I talk to Daddy?" I proposed.

"Okay," Jude agreed. I picked Jude up and wedged the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I continued to talk to Dean and take Jude up to his room. Although we missed him, it was good to hear his voice.


	11. Waiting

Author's Note: I realized I hadn't posted a picture of Sawyer. She is posted on my profile page now! I may change the actor as I got but let me know what you think and who you always pictured Sawyer as. remember, Meredith and Sawyer are half sisters so they really don't look much alike since Meredith's mom was ethnic and Sawyer's mom was. Their dad was of German descent.

* * *

><p>It was midday Thursday afternoon and Jude taking a nap. I was doing some laundry. I had promised myself that I would do the laundry that was building up before it got out of control. Dean hadn't gotten back yet but we had heard from him last night so I wasn't too worried. Suddenly, I heard the sound of the door cracking open. There were footsteps but no sound. I felt like my heart was caught in my throat. I swallowed before taking out my knife that was stored in the back pocket of my jeans.<p>

Did I lock the door? Shit, I don't think I locked the door. This was bad. Well, this would teach me to lock the door once I was done kicking whatever the hell was coming into my house's ass. I took a silent step forward, on guard and ready to put up a fight.

"Surprise," I heard a voice say. I gasped, raising my arm with the knife in it but sighed with relief as soon as I saw it was Dean.

"Mer?" Dean asked.

"Oh thank God, it's you," I sighed with relief.

"Yeah, maybe next time you could lock the front door," Dean replied.

"Ha you're hilarious," I replied sarcastically. "I'm so glad you're home." I ran into his arms immediately and just held him. Dean pulled away a little bit just to kiss me quickly on the lips. I pulled Dean back into the hug. I had missed him so much and was so grateful that he was home now. As I held Dean, I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in. Dean always smelled amazing. Finally, I pulled away from Dean. "How was your hunt?"

"It was alright… the shapeshifter took the baby," Dean sighed, disappointedly.

"I'm sorry, babe," I said back.

"Well, it's one of its own kind so Bobby John can't be in too much danger, can he?" Dean asked, searching for reassurance.

"You named the baby Bobby John?" I asked, with a slight laugh.

Dean shrugged, "Yeah."

I giggled, "Well, I hope that Bobby John is okay."

"Me too," Dean replied. "But enough about me. I don't really want to talk about it. How were things here?"

"They were good. Jude and I missed you but uh, we had some fun of our own. Bobby's was good and we spent some time over at the café with Andrea. Nothing unusual," I answered. "I've been doing some laundry. I'm practically a regular, old, boring housewife now."

"You're doing laundry?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yeah, well we've been building somewhat of a mountain of it, haven't we?" I asked, throwing something else into the laundry machine.

"And I wouldn't say you're boring. You looked pretty sexy with knife right before you about to go all Alfred Hitchcock shower scene on me," Dean remarked with a smirk on his face.

"Hah, um… do you have anything else you want me to put in the washing machine?" I asked, trying to ignore his comment.

"Uh, yeah, how about these?" Dean asked, undoing his belt buckle and then pants, before letting his pants fall to the ground.

I smirked, "Dean Winchester, what do you think you're doing?"

"You were right. The whole coming back thing is totally sexy and right now, I want you," Dean said, before crashing his lips against mine in a hungry, lustful kiss. I was surprised, over come, and definitely turned on at Dean's forwardness. I kissed him back, returning the passion and helped him remove the numerous articles of clothing that the both of us were wearing. Dean picked me up and put me on the laundry machine, forcing me to wrap my legs around him. Damn, coming home was very sexy.

Once we were done, Dean and I were breathing heavily and clinging into each other, hoping that the intimacy between us would never leave.

"Damn, baby," Dean whispered in my ear, sending chills down my back. I pulled him in for one longer, passionate kiss and then pulled away.

"Welcome home, honey," I said. My eyes widened as soon as I saw the clock. I jumped off of the washing machine and scrambled to put my clothes back on. "Oh my God, it's three already? I promised Sawyer I'd be at her office like fifteen minutes ago!"

Dean kissed me once more before starting to get dressed, "I think you should tell Sawyer about Sam and then baby and… you know… everything else."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Dean answered.

I nodded, "Okay. She wanted me to look over something so I don't know how long I'll be but call me if you need anything." I pulled my clothes on as quickly as I could and then ran my fingers through my crazy hair.

"You have total sex hair. It's so hot," Dean whispered in my ear, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me.

"Dean, I really need to go. You've already made me late, already!" I giggled, pulling away from him. "You don't mind watching Jude?"

"Not at all. I'll wake him up if he's not up in a good half an hour and then maybe we'll go to the park or something. Take a walk," Dean answered. I smiled. I loved the idea of family time, especially between Jude and Dean.

"Okay, I'll see you at home then," I said.

"See you," Dean said, before I collected my things and took the car to downtown Sioux Falls to Sawyer's office. They had set up their new publishing company in some empty space in downtown Sioux Falls right around Molly's store.

I walked into the store and saw Sawyer sitting at her desk, "Hey."

"Oh, hi," Sawyer said, looking up from her computer.

"What's going on?" I asked, casually. I was a little nervous about the things I had to tell her.

"Not much. Hold on, I'm almost done with this e-mail and…" she started. I heard the sound of Sawyer's fingers feverishly typing away. "And send. Sorry, new manuscript coming in and a couple of potential employees? It seems like some people back in LA agreed with us and knew that OceanSide was beginning to publish sparkly, shiny crap they knew would just sell as opposed to finding the next Fitzgerald." She sighed. "How are you?"

I laughed a little at Sawyer's big rant. The both of us had such a passion for books, "I'm good. I uh… did you decide on seeing that James guy? You know, Tara's finance's friend?"

"Uh, yeah, we're going out Friday. Why?" Sawyer asked, giving me a funny look.

I took a deep breath, "Good. Good… that's…"

"Good?" Sawyer interjected.

I chuckled, "Yes, good. Um… yeah it's just going to help me able to tell you what I need to uh, tell you because… uh… okay there's really no easy way for me to say this. Sawyer, Sam is back. He's alive."

"Oh my God," Sawyer gasped.

"I know," I replied. "Now, I know I'm kind of just springing this on you and I'm sorry Dean and I talked and figured it be a good time to finally tell you all and-."

"How long have you known?" Sawyer asked.

"Uh… about a week? Something attacked Dean and Sam swooped in. Dean didn't even know but he's been back for about a year. It's crazy, right? They went out on a hung and Dean just got back today but things were just so hectic and uh, well, I'm telling you now," I replied.

"He's really…?" Sawyer asked. I nodded. "Well, can I see him? Does he… is he alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine. He's a little different, but he's fine. He's apparently a better hunter than he's ever been before," I answered. "I think he's staying at Bobby's. I think he'd like it if you paid him a visit."

"Okay, okay," Sawyer said, nodding and taking in it all. I wasn't buying it. I was pretty sure she was about to explode in a moment.

"You're… okay with this?" I asked, nervously.

"Yeah, of course. You know, he's safe and that's all that matters. And you know what? I'm going to go see him and tell him that I'm glad he's okay and- Ah, who am I kidding? Holy shit, Meredith. How? What…? Why am…? Oh my god," Sawyer groaned.

"It's okay. This is normal. If you hadn't freaked out I would've been worried," I said.

"I know but, I mean, it's just that the last time we saw each other we… well, you know. And I have a sort of boyfriend now and, ughhhh!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"A sort of boyfriend?" I questioned.

"I don't know what James and I are! We're seeing each other but we haven't exactly brought out the whole boyfriend/girlfriend term thing, you know? I'm in no rush to define us yet, either, especially now that… I mean, not really, I guess, I just, ughhh" she asked.

I nodded, "You still have feelings for him, don't you?"

Sawyer sighed, "I mean… I always have. It's not like you can magically make them go away! You can forget about them but sure enough you see the person twelve years later and you hate yourself for feeling the same way. He was my first real crush, Mer. And then after your wedding, ugh, it was a mistake!"

"Sawyer, I know you probably don't want to hear this right now, but I really do think you should go and see him at least once," I said.

She sighed, "I know. I think so too. But… how? What am I supposed to say to him?"

"I don't know but uh, you'll just know when you see him. Trust me. I get the whole eternal crush for someone. I'm married to mine," I chuckled.

"Sam probably doesn't even, I mean, he probably got over me like a while ago. I mean, we slept together once! He probably doesn't even have feelings for me. It was a one night stand the both of us agree no strings attached. I feel so stupid right now," Sawyer ranted.

"Sawyer, Sam isn't that kind of guy though. He doesn't sleep with random girls just for fun. That would be his brother," I reminded.

"Lucky you," she replied sarcastically.

I smiled, "Look, is there anything I can do?"

"No, I'm feeling better a little better. Just, can you stay with me until Tara gets back from her break? I'm pretty sure if I'm left alone I might go crazy," Sawyer asked.

"Of course," I replied.

"Okay, you know what? Distractions may be a good idea. We've been getting a couple manuscripts a day from new and upcoming authors. Tara has been in this business way longer than I have and has great connections," Sawyer started, rifling through stuff on her desk.

"Found your new Fitzgerald yet?" I joked.

"No," Sawyer chuckled. "Oh God, I can't focus. Distract me, Mer! Hurry!"

"Um.. I'm pregnant," I offered up.

"Again?" Sawyer asked, her eyes widening.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Oh my God, congrats! Wow... that's crazy. You and Dea really are building a family together huh?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah, we are," I smiled.

"Oh come here. Hug time!" she said, getting up and hugging me. I hugged her back, hoping that our congratulations hug could also be somewhat of a comfortin hug for Sawyer.

I knew that Sawyer was freaking out now but I had a feeling that she and Sam would be able to work things out. I knew it would be awkward for her but she'd make it through. Dean and I did. Not that she and Sam were the new me and Dean, but they'd be able to work things out. They were great friends first before anything happened between them. I think that they care too much about each other to let that get in the way. Then again, Sam had seems kind of weird and distant lately so who knew where this would go. I had my fingers crossed for good luck!

* * *

><p>I heard a knock on the door. I was finally able to go home around five since that was Sawyer decided to close up the office. Tara had returned but I wanted to stay with her anyway. She was my younger sister! I went home to Dean and Jude making dinner.<p>

"Since when do you cook?" I asked, leaning against the door frame of the kitchen.

Dean glared at me playfully, "I'm not that bad."

I giggled, "I'm kidding, babe. I think you've become a pretty good cook over the years."

"Well, I've had a good teacher. A sexy one at that," Dean smirked, pulling me into his arms and kissing me once. "It's good to be home. I've missed this."

"We're glad to have you home," I replied.

"Ew, kissing!" Jude exclaimed, covering his eyes. Dean and I both exchanged glances before laughing.

"You know, buddy, there's going to be a point in your life where you're really going to like kissing," Dean said. He turned around and winked at me.

"Nope. Never!" Jude declared.

"Yeah, let's not get too ahead of ourselves, Dean," I said, walking past him and smacking his ass.

"Hey!" Dean exclaimed.

"See, how you like it?" I teased.

"Mommy is being silly today," Dean said to Jude. "Isn't she? Isn't she silly?"

"Yeah," Jude chuckled.

"Alright buddy, can you help me put some of the past in the pot?" Dean asked, picking Jude up. He handed his son a couple of pieces of spaghetti and Jude put them into the pot. "Nice, Jude! Look at you go! Hey, maybe you're going to be a chef when you grow up, huh? You wanna be a chef?"

Jude shook his head, "Just like Daddy."

"Alright," Dean chuckled, before putting Jude on the ground. Jude ran over to me as I sat down on a chair at our table in the kitchen. I pulled him onto my lap.

"Daddy and I may psghetti," Jude mumbled.

"Psghetti? Mmm, psghetti is yummy. Good job, little man," I encouraged. He was still at the phase where he thought that spaghetti was pronounced like psghetti. Just then, the door bell rang. "Hey, Jude, why don't sit here and play some and I'll go get the door."

"No, go with Daddy," Jude protested.

"I know, but he's making dinner right now. You've got to go sit here, okay? I'll be right back, I promise," I said. The door bell rang once more and I knew that I really did need to get to the door. "We can go see what Daddy's up to when I come back, okay?"

"Fine," Jude huffed, before I set him down on the floor, away from the actual cooking area where some of his toys lay. Jude had been getting more and more curious about things. He was always touching things like bugs and trying to put them in his mouth.

I went to the door and opened it only to find Sam standing there.

"Hi, Sam. Come in," I said, moving out of the door way. Sam walked in and I closed the door behind him. The two of us stood in the hallway.

"Uh, Dean told me about the new baby. Congratulations," Sam started. I touched my stomach and looked down at my stomach. I wasn't showing yet and wasn't expected to seeing as the last time I was pregnant, I didn't show till like halfway through the fourth month, maybe even the fifth month.

"Oh thanks," I smiled.

"If you need any help with the nursery, I'm glad to help," Sam said, looking around the house.

"Thank you, Sam. Do you need Dean or-," I started.

"Yeah, actually. I have to talk to him about something, but it can wait," Sam answered.

"Oh… okay. You're not… you didn't find another hunt did you?" I asked, anxiously. Dean just got back. I wasn't ready for him to go away again!

"Oh, no it's nothing like that," Sam said.

"Oh, okay. Well, Dean's making dinner. You're welcome to stay if you'd like. For dinner, that is," I said, laughing nervously. I hadn't really interacted with Sam that much ever since he got back and I had no idea why I felt so weird about it. It was just weird getting back into the swing of it all I guess. I was happy that Sam was making Dean happy though. Just then, I felt a pair of little arms wrap around my legs. I looked down and laughed as soon as I saw Jude. He peeked out from behind my legs at Sam and then hid again.

"Who's that?" Jude asked, looking up at me.

"That's your Uncle Sam. You know, he really helped Mommy a lot when I was carrying you," I said.

"He did?" Jude asked, his eyes widening with excitement.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Tall!" Jude exclaimed.

"Yes, your Uncle Sam is very tall. He's also really great. He's your godfather, you know. Maybe your Uncle Sammy would like to play with you some while your Daddy and I finish dinner. Is that okay?" I asked, asking both Sam and Jude.

"Yeah, actually," Sam said, smiling.

"Sorry, I don't mean to force the babysitting on you," I said.

"No it's fine. He is my nephew and all. Oh my God. Look at you! The last time I saw you, you were barely walking," Sam said to Jude.

"Here," I said, picking up Jude and handing him to Sam.

"Oh, um, okay, I guess, do I just-," Sam started, confused.

"Yeah, just like that," I said. Sam held his nephew and seemed a little bit anxious. "He's got a couple of toys and books of his in the living room, if you don't mind."

"Yeah, of course," Sam replied.

"Okay," I said back.

"Play!" Jude smiled, as Sam took him into the living room. While the boys were in the living room, I went back to the kitchen where Dean was. He was straining the pasta and turning the stove off. The sauce was heated enough.

"Dinner's almost ready," Dean said.

"Thank you, baby," I said, kissing him once.

"How's Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Good. He's in the living room with Jude," I replied.

"Alright, well why don't you call those two in for dinner?" Dean suggested.

"Look at you all domestic and stuff," I giggled.

"Hey, I'm still a badass and when I go out on the road-," Dean started.

"I know, I know. Don't worry babe, you're still a total badass. You know you can be a great father and a badass at the same time," I said.

Dean smiled, "Yeah, I know. I just like hearing you say it."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Boys, dinner's ready!" I called from the kitchen.

"Dinner," Jude announced. "Let's go!"

"Alright," Sam said. I watched as the two interacted. If Dean was a good father, there was no way that Sam wasn't going to be good with kids. Sam had always been good with kids but he was different. I could see Jude staring at his uncle in admiration but Sam seemed a bit disconnected. I couldn't put my finger on it but something about Sam was different.

* * *

><p>Dinner had gone great. It was starting to feel like the old times again with Sam and Dean. Jude just stared at the two men in awe. I could tell that already, he wanted to be just like them. We were all still at the table when the doorbell rang again.<p>

"It's okay. I'll get it. It's the least I can do since you guys had me over for dinner. This was great," Sam said, getting up from the table, putting his plate in the sink, and then going to answer the door.

Sam opened the door and was surprised to see Sawyer, "Hi."

"Sam?" Sawyer asked.

"Uh, yeah. Wow, it's uh… good to see you," Sam smiled, smiling a little.

"Yeah, you too," Sawyer replied. There was an awkward silence before the two shared an awkward hug. "I uh, just came to drop something off. I don't mean to intrude but um… is Meredith here?"

"Yeah, we just finished up dinner," Sam replied.

"Right," she said back. She moved passed Sam, her heart practically pounding out of her chest as she went into their kitchen.

"Hey, Sawyer, what're you-," I started, seeing Sawyer and then seeing a very surprised and awkward Sam standing behind her.

"I just came to drop this manuscript off. I thought you'd enjoy it and we could always use a second opinion back at the office. Um, but I've got to go. I've got something," Sawyer said.

"Okay. Well, I'll call you tomorrow," I said, trying to ease the tension but it felt so awkward. Even Dean could tell.

"Sure," Sawyer nodded, before leaving. Sam followed her.

"Sawyer, look-," Sam started.

"Sam, I'm seeing someone," Sawyer interjected almost immediately.

"Oh, okay. Good for you. You uh, you deserve someone," Sam stammered awkwardly.

"Thanks," Sawyer swallowed hard before leaving.

Sam returned to the kitchen and sat down, taking a big gulp of beer. Dean and I exchanged glances before I took a deep breath. "So how about we take this to the living room or something? You guys need to talk and uh, Jude can look at his book and I'll finish cleaning up in here."

* * *

><p>"Bye, Sam," I said, giving him a goodbye hug.<p>

"Bye. Thanks for having me over tonight. It was great," Sam said.

"I bet," Dean said sarcastically. I smacked his chest. "Ow!" I shot him a 'you had it coming' look.

"No it was great, really," Sam replied. He smiled once more before getting in his car and going. I closed the door and locked it behind us.

"So… awkward much?" Dean asked.

"I know. I even felt uncomfortable," I replied. "So what did Sam want to talk about?"

"We talked on the hunt and said some things. He just wanted to clear things up, you know?" Dean asked back.

"Right," I said.

"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. You coming to bed or what?" Dean asked.

"Right um, I told myself I wouldn't ask you but I can't help it. Was it just me or was Sam… different? Like… a weird kind of different?" I asked, immediately regretting asking it in the first place. Dean sighed and then shrugged.

"I didn't notice anything," he replied, anxiously. I could tell that he didn't exactly believe what he was saying.

I really didn't want to do this but I couldn't stop the words coming out of my mouth. I knew that if I didn't say anything, it'd bother me, "It's just that I saw him with Jude and he was just… distant." Dean thought for a moment. "You saw it too."

"I never said that," Dean snapped.

I sighed, "I'm sorry."

"Just give it a rest, Meredith," Dean said.

I nodded, "I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry."

"Hey, I'm going to put Jude to sleep," Dean started.

"You don't have-," I started.

"No, I want to. It's okay," Dean said.

I nodded and then just stood thinking about it all. Something was wrong with Sam and Dean was definitely in denial about it. I could tell by the way he reacted that he knew something was up to. He just didn't want to admit it. I got it though. Dean was so happy that he was brother was back that he'd take him in any condition. I just worried. I was afraid that Sam would hurt anyone, just that he wasn't being completely honest with how he got back. I picked up Sawyer's manuscript and flipped through it. I sat down on the couch and read a chapter before giving up. I wasn't able to focus and I wanted to give the book my full attention. I took a deep breath before putting it back down and going upstairs. It was no use avoiding Dean. I heard him reading a story to Jude so I peeked into Jude's room. Dean was sitting on his bed and reading him _Goodnight Moon_.

"Again, Daddy," Jude begged.

"Buddy, Daddy's tired. Any chance I can read it to you again tomorrow night?" Dean proposed.

Jude shook his head, "Again."

Dean chuckled, "Alright, one more time but after that you're going to sleep and so am I." Jude nodded and tried to flip the book back to page one. "You're in a hurry there, aren't you?" Dean started reading again and halfway through, Jude had fallen asleep.

Dean looked over at Jude to make sure he was asleep before slipping out of Jude's room. "Hey."

"Hi," I said back.

"Look, I'm sorry," we both said at the same time.

"I shouldn't have brought it up. I just knew if I didn't it would drive me insane," I apologized.

"No, you're right. Something is different and I just don't want to admit it. He's not the same Sammy he always was… on the hunt, I think they used Bobby John as bait and I think Sam agreed to," Dean said.

I sighed, "Oh my God."

"Yeah," Dean said back.

"Well, what do we do?" I asked.

"We wait," Dean finally replied.


	12. Lizzie Daisy & Company

Sam and Dean had only gone on about two hunts from then to the end of August. Today was Jude's birthday and we were throwing him a small part at the house with the friends and family. Jude's friends from the play group were invited as well as so they got to play together in the den. I was now five months along and definitely showing. Even with Dean having to go away and come back all the time, we were so excited about the new baby. Sam had helped out with getting the nursery ready.

"Hey, guys," I smiled as soon as I saw Molly and Ethan. They came through the front door with a present for Jude. "Oh that can go over there." I pointed over to the stack of presents on in the kitchen. "Thanks. How are you guys?"

"We're great! Hey, Mer, actually I've got something for you," Molly said.

"What?" I asked.

"Her idea. Just nod and smile. It's what I do," Ethan teased.

"Hey!" Molly exclaimed, carefully hitting Ethan in the arm. "Come on." Molly grabbed my arm and led me to Dean and I's room on the first floor. "Here." Molly handed me a box with a ribbon on it.

"Aw, Molly it's my son's birthday. I shouldn't be getting any presents," I said.

"I know, but I made it for you and, well, just go ahead and open it," Molly said back.

I chuckled, "Alright." I carefully opened the box and pulled out a beautiful yellow halter dress. I gasped. It was beautiful. "Molly, you know I can't really wear this kind of thing anymore."

"I know, so that's why I made you a maternity dress. It's just a really pretty maternity dress. People spend so much on maternity clothes any way and I figured, well, Mer does have a very generous designer friend that would be eager and willing to make her a dress so she doesn't have to spend tons of money on trying to find cute maternity wear," Molly explained.

I laughed, "Well, thank you. I love it."

"Go put it on!" Molly encouraged.

"Alright, alright!" I went into the bathroom and put the dress on. It fit perfectly. I loved it. I went out. "Molly this is really amazing. I can't thank you enough."

"Aw, you look so cute and pregnant," Molly gushed.

I chuckled, "Is it just me or does it feel like we haven't seen each other lately?"

"I'm sorry! With all the traveling to New York and then the vacation Ethan and I took, I've barely been home! Then again, with all the traveling for work Ethan feels like he hasn't seen me either, so don't feel neglected. It's not just you. Things have been crazy lately," Molly said.

I sighed, "Tell me about it. With Sam back, Dean and I honestly don't know what to think anymore. He's back into hunting and, I'm happy he's happy with Sam, but at the same time I miss him. Jude misses him too."

"It sounds like we need to make more time for each other," Molly said.

"You can say that again. Girl's day soon?" I proposed.

"Definitely," Molly agreed.

"So how has year one of marriage been so far?" I asked as the two of us walked out of my room in our dresses.

"It's been harder than I thought. Nothing bad, just all the distance and the travel. I have no idea how you and Dean made it work your first year without going crazy," Molly said.

"Oh I believe me. We had our fair share of fights. There was a lot going on and sometimes he'd come home totally broken. We'd get mad at each other but things always worked out," I reassured. "You guys aren't fighting, are you?"

"No! No, we're not. We're just struggling to make time for each other. His hours at the hospital are insane sometimes. They have him there for days!" Molly exclaimed, exasperated.

"Mm, I'm sure that things will get better. It's like you two are this crazy power couple," I said.

Molly laughed, "I kind of like that idea."

"Dude, don't look at them. It's not ever worth your time," Dean said to Sam.

"I'm not, Dean. Would you just give it a rest?" Sam asked back, annoyed.

"What's going on?" I asked, approaching the two men.

"Nothing," Sam said.

"Sam is all googly eyed at Sawyer and her boyfriend James or whatever the hell his name is," Dean said.

"Dean!" Sam groaned. "I'm going to get another beer." Sam walked away from Dean and I and went to go get another beer. I knew he really just needed a break from his brother.

"They still have feelings for each other, don't they?" I asked Dean.

"Pretty sure of it," Dean replied.

I giggled, "Some party, huh."

"Yeah, I think it's a success for a three year old's birthday party," Dean bragged. "Where did you go off to?"

"Oh, Molly and Ethan came and then Molly gave me this dress and we were talking a little. She made it, you know – the dress, I mean?" I asked, chuckling a little. Dean pulled me into his arms and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"You look gorgeous," he complimented.

"Why thank you, husband," I said. He smiled and then just kissed me. I kissed him back and he pulled me in closer to him. I smiled into the kiss but knew that we really needed to stop. We were at our son's party and couldn't really do this here. I pulled away and Dean groaned. I hadn't really been up to any physical aspects of our relationship because I was so exhausted lately. "Come on. We should probably stop making out before anyone sees us. I think it's time to do cake anyways."

"Alright, but you owe me some quality make out time," Dean reminded.

I giggled, "Yeah, whatever." I turned around but then stopped as I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. I held my stomach and gasped. "Ow, damn it."

"Babe, are you okay?" Dean asked, alarmed. Dean rushed to my side as I clutched my stomach taking in a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine, it's just… the baby. Wow, he or she is really strong," I said, feeling the baby kicking. "Come here, feel." I placed Dean's hands on my stomach and his eyes widened as soon as he felt the baby kicking. I smiled at him and he stared in amazement as the baby kept kicking. Dean began to laugh and shake his head.

"You know, if this baby becomes a hunter, he's going to have some killer combat skills," Dean said.

"He?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just trying it out," Dean replied innocently. "Hey, next time I'll use 'she'."

"Alright, whatever you say," I said, unconvinced. I knew that Dean wanted to have another boy so that we could give Jude his 'Sammy'.

"Hey, I'd be happy with a daughter, Mer. But if she looks anything like you, she won't be leaving the house till she's thirty," Dean warned.

I laughed, "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be pleased about that. What's she going to do about school?"

"Well, you're a teacher. You can just home school her right?" Dean asked, simply.

"Dean, if I'm teaching how would I be able to do home schooling. It's not like I can be in two places at once," I said.

"Good point," Dean nodded. I kissed Dean once more.

"Help me with the cake?" I asked.

"Sure," Dean said. I brought the cake that Andrea and I had made together this morning into the living room where everyone was. We started the singing.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Jude, happy birthday to you," we all sang.

"Make a wish and blow out your candles, buddy," Dean encouraged. Jude, Dean, and I all leaned in and blew out Jude's candles. The guests cheered as the candles were out and then we began to cut the cake. I looked around the room and it was nice to see the family and friends together, happy, and hunting free for now. We even cautiously invited the Campbells but they said that they'd be out on a hunt. It was probably for the best.

"Best birthday ever, Mama," Jude said looking up at me.

"Thank you, Daddy," Jude said to his father.

"You're welcome, little man. Or should I say big man? You're three now. How'd you get to be so old?" Dean asked, jokingly.

"Not old!" Jude protested.

"Yeah, three going on thirty," Dean replied.

This was my family.

* * *

><p>The party was over and it was getting late. Dean and I put Jude to put and even read him a new book of his: Where the Wild Things Are. Sam got it for him. He said that it was one of his favorites he'd read as a kid. Dean agreed that he never went anywhere without it when he was Jude's age. He just liked the pictures but when he got old enough to read it, he still carried it around with him.<p>

"I'm exhausted. Who knew having a bunch of three year olds and most of our friends and family would be so exhausting," I said, collapsing on our bed already in an old band t-shirt. I just lay on our bed as Dean came out of the bathroom, brushing his teeth. He nodded in agreement. He went back into the bathroom, spit, and then rinsed his mouth out with water.

"Well we're going to have two of our soon. That's going to be about ten times more exhausting," Dean said.

"Oh God, don't remind me. Here come the sleepless nights…" I groaned. Dean chuckled, taking off his shirt and pants before climbing into bed with me. "Damn, my husband is hot."

"What, you go for the whole shirtless thing?" Dean smirked.

"Yeah, actually," I replied, looking him up and down. Dean was incredible. "God, we're really going to have two of our own, aren't we?"

"Yeah, we are," Dean nodded, smiling proudly. He kissed my protruding stomach once. "Hey, little guy… or girl. It's your Daddy. I snagged us a story for Jude's room but don't tell Jude. Hah, already I've stirred a little sibling rivalry." I laughed at Dean's amusement. "How about I read you that story, huh? This one is one of Jude's favorites. It's called _Oh the Places You Will Go_. The pictures are pretty trippy but that's okay."

I laughed, "I don't think our baby is going to be able to see those trippy pictures yet but uh, wait, why are we teaching our future son or daughter what trippy even is?"

"I don't know!" Dean exclaimed. "Hey, speaking of, we have our appointment tomorrow. Do we want to find out the sex?"

"I do. Do you?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean said back.

"Oh good. The curiosity may have killed me and that would've been bad for John Caleb," I said.

"So you want a boy too?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. I'd be happy either way and we do already have a name picked out if it's a boy," I shrugged. I got under the covers because I was starting to get cold. Dean joined me. I chuckled. There was no way he wasn't getting cold in just a pair of boxer shorts.

"Well what about Victoria Mary… we talked about that one," Dean replied.

"Yeah, but I thought we were saving that for our third child," I replied.

"Yeah, but how do we know that our third child is going to be a girl?" Dean asked back.

"Good point but… just in case we do want to save the name… what would you want to name her if she was a girl?" I asked, curiously.

"Well, I don't know," Dean started laying back. "I've always thought Daisy was a pretty name."

"I don't know. I don't think our daughter would really be a Daisy. Daisy is kind of an airhead, gold digger in The Great Gatsby so I'd always think about that and I really don't want our kid to have that kind of future," I replied.

Dean chuckled, "We wouldn't be naming her after the airhead, gold digger."

I laughed, hearing Dean say that, "This is true. I don't know. Ooh, what about Elizabeth?"

"Lizzie," Dean smiled.

"Yeah, Lizzie. I love it," I said back, turning on my side to face Dean.

"Alright well this go round, if it's a boy, John Caleb, and if it's a girl, Lizzie… Lizzie Daisy?" Dean proposed.

"Lizzie Daisy?" I exclaimed.

"I'm kidding!" Dean said, laughing at me.

"Lizzie Daisy… Dean…" I groaned.

"Lizzie Michaela," Dean brought up, looking at me. I could tell that he was so serious right then. This was his dream right here. He wanted kids and to build a family and he looked at me with such love and admiration that it took my breath away. I could tell that Dean was only hunting because of Sam. Because Sam means family to him as well but he was finding this whole new meaning of family and it was killing him to be torn between the two.

I nodded, "Lizzy Michaela. You really want to have a third child after all of this?"

"Of course, I do. If we don't have a daughter this go round, we can try again. We had a lot of fun trying this time, didn't we," Dean smirked.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Yes, we did."

* * *

><p>"Alright, well if you don't have any questions, let's just get to it then," Dr. Sinclair said. She put the ultrasound gel on my stomach and then moved it around looking for the baby. "Almost, he's being a little stubborn. Oh, there we go."<p>

"He, doc?" Dean asked, hopefully. Dean gave my hand a tight squeeze as we both awaited for her answer.

"Mhm… yep, right there. There's your baby and that is his penis," Dr. Sinclair said, pointing to the images on the ultrasound.

"Damn, just like his old man! I bet he's bigger than most babies his age," Dean bragged. Dr. Sinclair just chuckled at Dean's response.

"Ew, Dean, would cut it out?" I chuckled.

"I'm just saying. That's my boy!" Dean said proudly.

"I'm glad you're proud, baby," I said back, rolling my eyes at my ridiculous and way too loveable husband. "Hey, guess what?"

"What?" Dean asked.

"We're having a boy," I said, smiling.

"I know. We're having a boy, Mer. Just like Sammy and me," Dean said.

I nodded. Dean leaned down to kiss me and I kissed him back. After the short kiss, we pulled away and continued to look at the ultrasound.

"There's your baby's heartbeat. You hear it? And right there, those are his little fingers and toes. That's his head…" Dr. Sinclair pointed out.

"Dean, look, that's our baby," I said.

"I know. Wow," Dean said back. We both just stared at the screen.

"So... John Caleb it is then?" I asked, looking at Dean.

"Yeah, John Caleb it is," Dean confirmed. "I don't know, I still liked Lizzie Daisy."

"Hush, you," I said, playfully glaring at Dean. The two of us both exchanged laughter at the name Lizzie Daisy before returning our attention to the sonogram. That was our baby right there. . Jude was going to have a little brother. They really were going to be Sam and Dean all over again. I could feel it.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Help! I have no idea how I'm going to try to write the season 6 finale. I feel like Meredith is too guarded to let her or Jude be kidnapped or even possessed so I just feel like it'd be too weird if they took the place of Lisa and Ben in the season 6 finale. I also kind of want Meredith on Sam and Dean's side kicking some demon ass. Lisa and Ben's kidnapping also forced Dean to leave them completely and he has a family with Meredith, Jude, and now John. I don't want to write him leaving them and I don't think he could but them being kidnapped would make him. So... help! Idea?


	13. Live Free or Twi Hard

I had that really odd feeling that I was being watched. The cool breeze from the window was a little too cold for my liking. I pulled the blankets tighter around me but it was- wait, since when was the window opened? It was October and I rarely ever slept with the windows open. I'd get up and close it but there was a really eerie feeling about it all. I opened my eyes and practically jumped at the sight of Dean standing over the bed. Was he just watching me? I sat up, nervously.

"Babe, you scared the hell out of me! I thought you weren't coming home for a couple of days," I said, my heart pounding in. I ran my fingers through my hair, taking a deep breath. I took one good look at Dean and knew that something wasn't right.

"Mer," he started, sitting down on the bed.

"Dean, is everything alright?" I asked, moving a little closer to him.

"I just wanted you to know that I love you. Marrying you and having this… this whole apple pie family thing has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. Tell Jude I love him. I'm sorry it couldn't last longer," Dean said.

"Dean, what're you-," I started.

"Don't," Dean warned, scooting over.

"Dean, you're scaring me. Please just explain it to me. What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"Damn it," Dean muttered under his breath. He got up and moved practically halfway across the room. "Great, I'm Pattinson."

"What?" I asked, confused. Did he just make a Twilight reference?

"Nothing," Dean murmured.

"Dean," I said.

"You'll tell him, right? You'll tell him how much I love him. And you have to let him know when he grows up, regardless of the dumb shit I do, you'll tell him about me, right?" Dean asked, not even bothering to face me.

"Dean, slow down. Will you just tell me what's going on? You're-, you sound like you're saying goodbye. What's happening? You at least owe me that," I pleaded, standing up and going over to Dean. He turned around and looked at me, swallowing hard.

"It's not fair to you. We had a normal life. We were getting out. We have Jude and John and… Lizzie Daisy for chrissake! But then Sam came back and I… I can't have both, can I? I can't do this to you. I can bring this home to you. We have a family here and if I-, I shouldn't have come. I'm putting you both in danger and-," Dean started. What he was saying was really scaring me. Dean was so scared himself and I could tell that he felt so helpless.

"Oh my God, Dean! Just-" I exclaimed, attempting to hold him but he tried to push me away. Instead, he pushed me against the wall and the two of us just stared at each other. Oh my God… he wasn't himself anymore. He told me something about vampires. Did they change him? Dean leaned in to me, as if to kiss me and then crashed his lips against mine, aggressively kissing me with need and hunger. Almost immediately, he pulled away.

"I've got to go!" he exclaimed, panicked, before running out of the room.

"Dean!" I called after him. I ran after him, but before I knew it, he was gone. I was left alone standing in my hallway, scared, panicked, and determined to get my husband back. I was 99.99% sure he was a vampire now. This wouldn't be our goodbye.

I ran into my room, put on a bra underneath one of Dean's flannel shirts and then slipped on some jeans. I found my old hunting boots at the back of our closet and put those on too. I went upstairs to Jude's room and he was fast asleep. I sighed, hating to have to do this to him. I went over to his bed and shook him gently.

"Jude, sweetie, you've got to wake up," I said, softly, trying not to sound panicked so that I wouldn't scary him.

"Mama?" he murmured, sleepily.

"Yeah, it's Mama. Look, buddy, you've got to be super brave for me and wake up, okay? I'm going to bring you over to Grandpa's and you can go to sleep but I've got to go find Daddy, okay? He needs some help," I tried to explain to him.

"Daddy, okay?" Jude asked, rubbing his eyes and then opening them. He looked scared too.

I nodded, "Yeah, Daddy will be okay. I just need to see him. I think he needs some help."

"Can I?" Jude asked.

I shook my head, "Yes. You can help by coming to Grandpa's with me, okay?"

"Okay," Jude said. I collected some of his stuff and some clothes in a bag as Jude attempted to put his Velcro shoes on. "I've got you. See, there you go. Alright, let's go, okay, sweetie?" I picked Jude up in my arms and slung the bag over my shoulder. "There you go." I tried to stay as calm as I could as I hurried out to the car. I fastened Jude into his car seat and then got into the passenger seat. I was glad that Bobby's house wasn't too far away from here. I just hoped he was awake.

As soon as I started driving, I called Bobby, "Meredith? It's two in the morning. What're you doing up?"

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied.

"Reading. What's going on? Is everything okay?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah. Can you watch Jude for the rest of the night… until I get back," I asked.

"Where are you going?" Bobby asked back.

"Dean showed up in a couple of minutes ago. I think something is wrong, Bobby. Vampires. Anyways, I'm trying not to freak Jude out but I need him to stay with you," I explained.

"You're not thinking about going after him, are you?" Bobby asked, as if this idea was crazy. I knew it was.

"Yes, Bobby. He needs me and I need to know he's okay," I replied.

Bobby sighed, "You're crazy, you know that?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Just be careful, okay? I don't want anything happening to you or the baby," Bobby warned.

"Don't worry, I am. I tied one of those pillows people use to make it look like their pregnant around me for extra cushioning," I replied. Bobby sighed. We both knew that was really going to do much but it was worth a try. Besides, there was no way that anyone was going to be able to talk me out of going after Dean. Not after the way he showed up tonight.

"Where did you even get one of those?" Bobby asked.

"Molly left it at my house. She's been using it to design maternity clothes but that's beside the point. Thanks, Bobby. I'll be at your house in a second," I said, before hanging up. I got to the house in a matter of minutes and handed Jude off to Bobby. He seemed pretty understanding about it, which made it easier to leave.

I got back in the car and floored it. I called Sam the minute I was back in the car.

"Hello?" Sam asked.

"Hey, it's me, Meredith. Where are you?" I asked back.

"I'm guessing Dean came," Sam replied.

"Yeah. I'll be there soon. You're close right?" I asked, determination in my voice.

"Meredith, I don't know if-," Sam started.

"I need an address, Sam, now!" I demanded.

Sam sighed, "Yeah, alright, fine." He gave me the address and I scribbled it down. He described the town and everything. I should be there in about half an hour. Dean wasn't the only one who drove at 85 mph and knew every back road there was in America.

* * *

><p>Once I found the place, I parked my car and picked the lock, sneaking into the vampire nest. I called Sam again and this time he had a better address. I was surprised that Sam hadn't put up a fight and said tried to fight me because I was pregnant and he didn't want the baby getting hurt but that was old Sam. I almost wasn't surprised because he hadn't been the same at all. I had my machete ready to decapitate any vampires that got in my way. Dean had to be here. I could feel it.<p>

I could also feel someone watching me. It was really freaking me out but I knew I needed to wait for the right moment to turn around or the vampire would either run away or attack me right away and I'd have less of an advantage. I looked around on the ground and there were dead bodies everywhere, their heads cut off, blood staining the floor. Looks like Dean did well. I could feel it… almost… and… I turned around, swinging the machete and chopped the vampires head right off. Wow, this was like riding a bike.

After that one, I was being swarmed. There was one, than two. I worked as fast as I could, swinging at every chance I got. Where the hell was Dean? More heads were coming off but at some point it got too much. I backed up a little and turned around to see another three more. I was locked in. I couldn't jump. There was no way I'd land that and the vampires would be able to come after me. Well, I could go down fighting. I swung my machete as another one charged me, but there was a bright white light. The vampires shielded their eyes as did I, but when the light was gone, I opened them and the bodies were scattered all over the floor. They were out cold. Dead. How… what…

I didn't have time to question it though. Right now, I needed to find Dean. I wiped the blood from my face, or at least enough so that it wasn't bothersome. I took my machete with me and ran to another room. I heard footsteps and whispering as I went down the stairs. I was ready to swing until I saw Sam and Samuel.

"Oh my God," I said, startled.

"Yeah, we could say the same thing about you," Sam replied.

I swallowed, "Have you found him yet?" Sam pointed forward so I turned around to see Dean standing over the head of the vampire he had been fighting.

"You okay?" Sam called out.

"Yeah, good," Dean replied, stoic.

We got to the hotel and took different cars. Dean was freaking out, afraid the he was going to hurt someone. Sam and Samuel lay him on the bed, while Samuel fixed the cure and Sam and I sat with him. He was struggling to fight the hunger. I guess us around him wasn't exactly the most brilliant idea ever.

"What did you see?" Sam asked again. Dean gasped in pain. I grabbed his hand, not knowing what else I could do.

"Meredith, don't! I can't… I can't hold on much longer and you… I can't do this to you- I-," Dean gasped.

"What'd you see in the nest?" Sam asked again

"I don't know, okay? I can't focus right now. Meredith, how the hell, why did you-, you know… we have to talk when I… oh shit… when I get out of this. If I do," Dean started yelling.

"You're going to get out of this, I promise. Just fight this, Dean. I know you're stronger than this. I believe in you," I said to him. Samuel came over with the cure and practically had to force it down Dean's throat. Dean drank it and it squeezed his hand tightly as I could see it taking effect on him. He gasped in pain and I hated seeing him like this. It killed me. Dean then overcame it, gasping for air.

"Mer?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm right here," I said, scooting closer to him.

"I need… I need… oh God," Dean said, before leaning over the bed and throwing up. Sam and I exchanged glances and I sighed.

"You okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine. Just peachy," Dean replied, bitter.

"Here, let's get you cleaned up," I said, taking Dean's hand. I helped him get to his feet and he leaned on me a little as I walked him to the bathroom. I had Dean sit down on the toilet lid while I cleaned him off. We just sat there in silence. I gave him a cup of water to drink as well.

"Meredith, what the hell were you thinking?" Dean growled.

"Do we really have to do this now?" I asked back.

"Yes!" Dean exclaimed.

I sighed, "I was thinking that my husband came to the house at two in the morning in one of the worst conditions I've ever seen him in and that he needed me!"

"But what about you and the baby? What about Jude?" Dean exclaimed. He was livid.

"Jude is at Bobby's! Look, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and I just-, I didn't know how I was supposed to react. I mean, did you just expect me to go back to sleep and pretend like nothing happened? In case you haven't noticed, this used to be my life too, Dean! I'm not incompetent," I argued.

"But you are pregnant," Dean retorted.

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just you expect me to sit around and play the good little housewife when I know what it's like out there and I want to be out there with you. It's so hard to be at home. Just… waiting," I tried to explain.

"What if you had gotten hurt? What about John?" Dean asked.

"I-, I don't know. I was thinking about that, okay? All I could think about was you and… and God, you were terrified. And you were saying goodbye, Dean. I couldn't sit there and do nothing," I replied. I knew he was mad at me but I knew that there was nothing I could really say that would change his mind. We stood there in silence again until Dean said something.

"You did pretty well, didn't you?" Dean asked, looking over at me.

I chuckled, "I guess so. I saw you did too. Taking out most of the nest single handedly. I've got to give it to you."

"Meredith, you have to promise me you won't ever do this again… at least while you're pregnant," Dean said.

I sighed, "Okay, fine. I promise."

"I just, I worry too much," Dean started.

"Ya think?" I teased.

"Funny," Dean replied, sarcastically. "We agreed that you'd stay out of this when you were pregnant with Jude."

"I know but I can't just sit here idly. It's too much, Dean," I interrupted.

"Okay, so we'll talk about it when John is born but please, for me and the baby, wait to start hunting again," Dean said.

I nodded, "I know it was stupid. I… if-." And then I remembered what happened back at the nest. I was about to be devoured when something or someone intervened. That white light… "I have something to tell you."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Um, you're right. I could've died. I almost did," I said.

"Mer-," Dean started, his eyes widening.

"Wait. I almost died but, well don't freak out, okay? I'm not going to do it again so you can chill out, Dad," I said, jokingly. A little smile spread across Dean's face. "Something happened. I was fighting and decapitating and everything and then it just became too much. I was surrounded by a ton of vampires and then this white light just came in and blinded everyone. When I opened my eyes all of the vampires were dead."

"Wait, what kind of white light?" Dean asked.

I shrugged, "I don't know. Beats me."

"Like angelic Cas kind of white light?" Dean asked.

"Maybe," I said back.

"Alright, we'll ask him. That's weird. That's really weird, Mer," Dean said.

"I know. I almost forgot about it until now," I said back. "And Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean asked back.

"Can we keep this between us for now? So… just don't tell Sam or Samuel or the Campbells," I replied.

"Of course," Dean said back.

"Well, I think that's all I need to tell you."

"Okay, well I have to tell you something," Dean replied.

"Yeah?" I asked.

Dean nodded and sighed, "I remember it all, the nest, the psychic link the vamps have to their alpha… yeah, weird right? And then… I remember Sam watching me get turned. He let the vampire turn me. I'm sure of it."

"Sam would never-," I started.

"I don't know. He's different now," Dean said.

I sighed, "I'm so sorry, baby."

Dean shook his head, "It's… whatever." He then just pulled me into his arms. "I'm just glad that you're okay. Jude's with Bobby." I nodded my head against his chest and closed my eyes.

"I'm glad that you're okay too," I replied.

Finally, the two of us came out of the bathroom to find Sam and Samuel waiting for us.

"Took you long enough," Samuel said.

I coughed a little, "Sorry."

"I'm going to get some sleep. I'll see you guys in the morning," Dean said.

Samuel nodded, "You know, I thought you were more like John Winchester before I met you. But clearly you were taught well." I could feel Dean tense up at the mention of his dad so I just held his hand.

"Um, thanks," I said back, awkwardly. I thought meeting Dean's other half of the family would be kind of cool, but Samuel and the others weren't exactly the average American warm fuzzy family. They were a family of hunters. They were cold but they looked after each other.

Dean fell asleep almost instantly but I couldn't fall asleep yet. Samuel was next to sleep and then it was just me and Sam. I could take the awkward tension that was in the room so I stepped outside of the motel room and leaned up against the wall of the outside, just next to the door. I couldn't take it anymore and if I had stayed in there any longer, I would've said something I'd regret. I was just so mad at him... The sound of the door opening startled me.

"Sorry," Sam mumbled, coming outside and shutting the door quietly.

"Hi," I said, awkwardly.

Sam smiled weakly, "Hi." I didn't have anything to say to Sam, especially after learning that he just watched Dean get turned, that he didn't stop him. I crossed my arms over my chest, avoiding any kind of eye contact. "You're mad at me."

"No, no, I'm not," I said back, trying to keep it under control.

"You are. I can tell," Sam said back.

"Alright, fine, you know what? I am mad at you. I don't know who the hell you are anymore," I replied. I could feel my control slipping and that I was probably about to blow up. Sorry, Sam…

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam started, defensively.

"I've seen you with Jude and with Dean and-, you were amazing with Jude when he was first born. You were there at all of my appointments, at his birth. And then when he was born, God he loved you, Sam. But this time, you're back and… it's like you don't know how to be around him anymore. And Dean! Dean's hurting and all he wants is his brother back but he and I can both tell that something's different," I said.

"I was in Hell, Meredith. I doubt you know what that's like at all," Sam rebutted.

"Yeah, and so was Dean for a hell of a lot longer than you," I snapped.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked.

"When we found you, you had been back for a year. You went to hell, or so we thought, about a year ago," I replied. Sam didn't reply. He just sat there, staring at the wall. "God, the old Sam that we know and love wouldn't just sit here. He'd- he'd, yell and get mad and-, it's like you can't even feel anymore!" Sam just glared at me. "Fine, you know what? I'm going to bed. But, I don't know where the hell that amazing guy that chased Dean when he left after I told him was pregnant and yelled at him for being an ass. You know, sometimes I think that you're the reason he came back and apologized. And what about the Sam that came to every single one of my doctor's appointment and held me hand during all the needles because you know how much I hate needles? Or the Sam that had the biggest heart I've ever seen...? We want that Sam back."

Sam just stared at me. There was no trace of guilt or remorse on his face, but only a look of confusion. I shook my head, rolling my eyes as I stormed back into the motel room, leaving Sam alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Happy New Year everyone! Thanks so much for reading. You all have been FANTASTIC for reviewing the chapters :). I'm a lucky writer to have such awesome readers.


	14. Cards To Make Daddy Not Sad

Author's Note: This takes place right after the episode "Family matters" happens. Thanks! Happy New Year!

P.S. Castiel's SECOND appearance in my stories. How did I get this far with very little of him? Sad life…

* * *

><p>"Cas, I mean it this time. Dean and I don't know what to do. Please, Cas. I know you're helping like a hundred other people right now, but it's a big deal," I said to the air. I had been praying for Cas to visit for days now. Dean was on another hunt with Sam and it had extended a lot longer than I thought it had. "Fine, you know what? It's not important or anything."<p>

"You just said it was important," I heard a voice say. I turned around to see Castiel standing in the living room.

"Cas," I groaned. "I was being passive aggressive." I crossed my arms across my chest and smiled.

"These human customs…" he chuckled.

"Hello to you too, Cas. It's been too long," I walked over to him and gave him a hug. Cas patted me on the back a couple of times awkwardly. I laughed at his awkward hug and pulled away. "How are you? Do you want to sit?"

"I'm fine standing, thank you. I've been good," Cas replied.

"Okay," I said. Making small talk with an angel was always really hard. Then again, Cas always was a cut to the chase kind of guy. "Alright, so I'm just going to cut to the chase here, Cas. I called you because, well something happened with the baby."

"Meredith, I'm not quite sure-," Cas started.

"No, no! Not like that or anything: something supernatural. You see, I was fighting some vampires and they were about to close in on me and then this bright, white light came over us and they were dead and uh… well Dean called it a Cas kind of giant, white light so we figured we call you and see what was up," I explained, anxiously. I just wanted to get to the bottom of this.

Castiel sighed, "I see…"

"You see, what?" I asked, eagerly.

"There's an old prophecy in heaven and hell. It says that two brothers will walk the earth and will be so in sync, kind of like Sam and Dean. Together, the brothers will be able to single handedly save or end the world, depending on what kind of influence they're brought up with," Cas explained.

"Okay, so?" I asked.

"So, your new baby will be a boy, correct?" Castiel asked.

"Well, yeah, but-, oh no! Oh no, Cas! It can't be. Not… my kids? But how? I'm not… special," I replied.

Castiel shook his head, "Dean is Michael's vessel. You two were made for each other."

"Just like Mary and John," I whispered to myself.

"Yes," Castiel said. "But different. You and Dean recognized something in each other the minute you saw each other. You chose each other before heaven intervened."

"And what does it have to do with demons going after my children?" I asked, defensively.

"Demons won't necessarily, well, yes, they may. If evil gets a hold of the brothers, they could raise them wrong," Castiel explained.

"Demons are not going to get a hold of my children! Dean and I will make sure of it," I said, determined and frightened all at the same time. "Cas, what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. Dean is calling though. I can hear him. He's angry… Anyway, I'll get back to you. I may be able to cloak the boys until they're eighteen. Or at least heaven can. The white light you saw, it's heaven's way of protecting them. Now, you know I'm not heaven's biggest fan right now, but they are yours. They'll protect the boys. For now, I have to go," Castiel said, before disappearing.

"Why does he always do that?" I asked.

Just then, Jude came into the room with his sippy cup, "Mama, Daddy didn't call tonight."

"I know, sweetie, but he's busy. You don't need to worry. I don't think anything is wrong. Uncle Cas is going to go find him right now. Daddy called for Uncle Cas. See? No trouble," I said, trying to calm my son down. I could tell that he was worried. He always got worked up whenever Dean left. I just wanted my husband home. Ugh, and Sam and I still weren't on great terms after the fight.

"Daddy, he can be safe, yes?" Jude asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "Why don't you come up here and we can read a book or maybe even watch a movie or something. I'll make popcorn."

"I like popcorn," Jude smiled.

"Okay, let's do that then," I laughed a little. I put Jude on the couch while I made some popcorn. "What movie do you want to watch, baby?"

"Nemo!" Jude exclaimed.

"Finding Nemo?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jude replied.

"Okay, Finding Nemo it is, then," I said. While the popcorn continued to microwave, I went back to Jude and put the movie in. I started it and then went back to the kitchen. The popcorn was done, so I emptied it into a plastic bowl and brought it back to Jude.

"I love you," Jude said to me, looking up at me, his eyes filled with love and amazement.

"I love you too, sweetie," I said back.

I looked at him and teared up a little. How was it that this little boy could be the savior or the end to the world? He was just a kid and John wasn't even born yet! I tried to push the thoughts from my mind and focused on spending time with my son. Jude was transfixed with the movie and sipped juice out of his sippy cup.

"Can I sleep with Mama tonight?" Jude asked.

"Jude, honey, are you afraid of something?" I asked, worried and a little paranoid.

"No. Daddy said protect Mama when he's gone," Jude replied.

I smiled, "Of course, baby. How about when we finish this movie we can go to sleep?"

"Okay," Jude nodded.

I was exhausted, missing Dean, I had just found out that my sons were going to single handedly save or destroy the world, and my pregnancy hormones were going crazy. All I wanted to do right now was curl up in a ball and cry but I had to be strong for my son. If he saw me upset, he'd think something was wrong. Technically something was wrong. I was so afraid and all I wanted right now was for Dean to come back so that he could hold me and tell me everything was okay because right now, it didn't feel like it was.

* * *

><p>I heard a knock on my door and Dean was standing there. He looked totally broken. He looked at me but then looked away almost immediately. It was as if he had done something. He hadn't called after Finding Nemo night with Jude but here he was. Jude was still asleep and I was supposed to wake him up soon but after this, I knew I needed to let him sleep more and take care of Dean.<p>

"Oh my God," I said, as soon as I saw him. He walked in the door and dropped his stuff at the door way. I locked the door and Dean heavily treaded down the hallway. "Dean, what happened?" Dean stopped and then turned around to face me.

"It's Sammy… he's got no soul," Dean finally said.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"He came back without a soul. He admitted to letting me get turned by the vampires and then started talking about how he wasn't feeling anything anymore so, I knocked him out and then Cas came. Looked for a soul… nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch," Dean said. Under the hurt, I could hear anger in Dean's voice and it killed me.

"How is that possible?" I asked. This was insanity. How the hell was any of this real?

"I don't know. I guess when you don't know what brought you back, you ask questions. Well guess what? Sam didn't. And now Crowley is king of hell now and wants us to collect the alphas for him. To get Sam's soul back we've become Crowley's bitch," Dean spat.

"But I thought we got rid of Crowley," I started.

"Surprise! We didn't," Dean snapped. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-."

"No, you're fine. I get it," I said.

"No, it's not okay. You're my wife. You haven't done anything but given me a family and always loved me no matter what stupid things I do. I shouldn't be taking this out on you," Dean said. Damn pregnancy hormones. I was ready to curl up in a ball and cry all over again. I hated this. I wanted to be strong for Dean but I was going to try not to lose it.

"Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

Dean shook his head, "I don't think so. I'm just going to lie down. Get some sleep. Can we talk when I wake up?"

"Sure," I said back.

"Okay," Dean said, before going into our bedroom. He didn't bother to close the door but I knew he needed to be alone. I, on the other hand was in desperate need for someone to talk to. I needed to tell Dean about the whole prophecy thing but now did not seem like a very good time. I woke Jude up and got him dressed and then headed over to Andrea's. I was supposed to meet Molly and Ethan there and I knew they could watch him while I talked to Andrea. She of all people would know how to handle the whole hunter's dilemma/pregnant thing.

"Hey, sweetie, can you go say hi to your Aunt Molly and Uncle Ethan?" I asked.

"Okay," Jude said, going over to their table. Molly put him in one of the chairs and they watched over him. I nodded and then went over to the counter where Andrea was working.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey, what's up with you? You look a mess," Andrea said.

I nodded, "Andrea, do you have time to talk?" I tried not to let my voice crack but I knew I was going to lose it any minute.

"Sure, what's wrong?" Andrea asked.

"Not here. Maybe… kitchen?" I asked.

"Sure," Andrea said, pulling me back into the kitchen. She asked Dave to take the front instead and she'd take the kitchen. Once we were alone, I broke down. Andrea just pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back and let me cry. "So are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"A lot of things," I said. Andrea nodded as if to tell me to go on. "Dean just got home and uh, Sam apparently has no soul. He's so broken, Andrea. I, I haven't seen him like this in a while. Jude is so worried about his dad. He slept in my bed last night. I think he misses him a lot. It's really hard on him having Dean out on hunts all the time. I can tell. And uh, well, I found out there's a prophecy that says that Jude and John are going to single handedly either end or save the world, depending on their upbringing. On top of that, my hormones are going crazy thanks to part two of this super hunting team or whatever and I'm trying to be strong for everyone else but I just… I can't do it anymore! I mean, I can and I will but I need to just cry right now."

"It's okay, you can cry," Andrea said. "Wow, that's a lot."

I sniffled, wiping away tears. I think I was pretty done now that I got it all out, "I think that's it."

"Well, it's a hell of a lot," Andrea chuckled. I laughed a little with her too.

"Look, you are always so busy taking care of everybody else that you never stop to worry about yourself. That's what this is. Well, that and the pregnancy hormones. It's completely normal though, if it makes you feel better. Second, I think that if you'd talk to Dean, he'd be there for you. I knew he's dealing with things himself but he loves you, Meredith. That boy would travel the world and back for you. I'm pretty sure he'd take a moment to listen to you. As for Jude and the whole prophecy thing, yes, that's a lot but you can't worry about the future. All you can do is focus on the present or you'll go insane. You and Dean and raising Jude right. I'm pretty sure he and John are going to save the world."

I smiled, "Why do you always know what to say to make me feel better?"

"I'm a mother. It's a gift," she replied.

I giggled, "Thank you, Andrea."

"It's no problem, sweetie," she said back.

I took a deep breath. Now it was time to face it all. Time to face the music.

* * *

><p>"Mama, is Daddy sad?" Jude asked me. We had been home and Dean had come out of the room for a couple of minutes just to get a class of water. Jude wanted to see his dad but I could tell Dean was up to it.<p>

"Why do you ask that, baby?" I asked back.

"He looks sad. He sleeps all day," Jude replied.

I nodded a little, "Yeah, your Daddy is kind of sad. He and Uncle Sam had a little fight and he's really tired from the hunt so he's sleeping a lot and he's trying to… understand it all – his fight with his brother."

"Will me and my brother fight?" Jude asked.

"Maybe. There will probably be times that you guys disagree on things or times where things come between you but I have a feeling that you're going to get along really well," I said.

"I can't wait for brother," Jude smiled.

"Me too," I said back.

"Do you think I can make cards for Daddy? Make him feel better?" Jude asked.

I smiled, "You know, I think he'd really like that."

"Okay," Jude said, practically sprinting up to his room to make cards for Dean.

I walked up the steps and followed Jude upstairs. Instead of going into his room, I went into the nursery. We had just finished painting it before Dean went away on the hunt. Sam had even helped out with the heavy lifting and the demon proofing of it. The room was practically a panic room itself – salt in the walls. Any kind of symbols drawn inside the walls, it would take a hell of a lot to get into this room. We did the same to Jude's room when we first moved in. Luckily, at first glance, it just looked like a regular nursery.

I sat down in the rocking chair in his room. God, I looked so pregnant! I looked around the nursery room nostalgically. This was supposed to be our life, not the one that was tangled in demons, angels, lost souls, and prophecies about our children. I hadn't even told Dean about that… was there ever going to be a right time though?

Later that night, I was about to get ready to make dinner but Jude wanted to help. We walked down the steps and I started towards the kitchen but Jude stopped me.

"Wait, I want to give Daddy's his cards," Jude said. I stood outside the bedroom at the door while Jude went inside the dark room and jumped onto the bed right next to his dad.

"Woah, what've we got here?" Dean asked, catching Jude.

"Daddy, I made you cards so you feel better," Jude said, handing his dad the pieces of paper. Dean smiled as he looked at the cards. One of the cards was of people although the people looked like blobs with stick arms and legs and two dots for eyes and a line for a mouth. "That's you and Mommy. That's me and John. I just want you to not be sad anymore."

"Hey, little man, I'm not sad anymore. I had a rough couple of days but you and your Mommy are making me feel much better. I just needed a lot of sleep to recover. But thank you, son. These are… I'm going to frame them and take them with me on all my hunts," Dean smiled, looking from his son to the card and back to his son.

"Feeling better already?" Jude smiled.

"Yeah," Dean said, ruffling Jude's hair up a little bit.

I giggled, "You know, we're about to start making dinner. You're welcome to join us if you'd like."

Dean smiled, getting up out of bed, "That sounds like a great idea."

Dean helped with making dinner and I could tell that he was feeling better. He was still hurt but it was good for him to be with us. Jude was doing anything to cheer up his father, including making funny faces or doing silly things that he normally wouldn't. By the end of the night, we were putting Jude to sleep. I would be surprised if Dean fell asleep seeing as he slept all day.

"Hey, Jude wants you to read Where the Wild Things Are with the scary voices," I said, handing Dean the book.

"Alright, buddy, one more story and then we're going to bed, okay? I'm even exhausted now!" Dean said.

"No. You sleep all day!" Jude replied.

"Oh no. I'm already setting a bad example for our kid," Dean groaned, jokingly.

I giggled, "One more story, Jude. That's it."

"Fine," Jude sighed, dramatically. Dean and I looked at each other and just laughed. We weren't quite sure where that came from. Dean read the story and Jude was finally asleep. We snuck out of his room and back downstairs to our room.

"You know, your son does have a point. Are you actually going to sleep tonight seeing as you slept all day yesterday?" I asked.

"Maybe. I'm still exhausted," Dean said.

"Hey, Dean, um, can I talk to you about something?" I asked, a little nervous.

"Yeah, what is it?" Dean asked.

I sighed, sitting down on our bed, "I talked to Cas the other day and I asked him about the whole white light thing back with at the vampire's nest. God, I told myself that there would never be a right time so… here it goes… he told me that there was a prophecy about two brothers that would single handedly be able to save or destroy this world."

"Not Sam and I…" Dean trailed off.

"No. John and Jude," I replied.

"No… it can't, that's not-," Dean said, sitting down slowly, right next to me.

I nodded, "It's not fair, Dean."

"But Jude is three. John's not even born!" Dean exclaimed. I nodded. He could see how vulnerable and emotional I still felt. "Oh, Mer. Come here." Dean pulled me into his arms and I just let him hold me. "It's all going to be okay. We're going to get through this. I'll talk to Cas tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too," I said.

This was exactly what I needed to hear.


	15. Like A Virgin

I sat across from Bobby at his study and read the article about the plane crash. Dean came up and sat down next to me. Bobby poured him a class of some scotch.

"Like my Daddy always said, just because it kills you doesn't mean it's not medicine. Sam's still asleep?" Bobby said, handing him a glass. Dean took it and drank out of it. Man, I missed alcohol. I tried to focus on the article but worried too much about Dean. All he wanted was for Sam to wake up and know that he was okay. Death had left a while ago and Dean was still freaking out.

"Yeah," Dean sighed, anxious.

"He'll wake up," Bobby reassured.

"Yeah," Dean replied, unconvinced.

"Dean, he's been through a hell of a lot. He always come out okay," Bobby reasoned.

"Yeah, well he's never been through this," Dean answered, not bothering to make eye contact with either of us.

"Granda, I made you card. You too Daddy. It's for you and Mommy," Jude said, going over to Bobby and handing him a piece of paper with more drawings on it.

"Thanks, little man. This is awesome," Bobby smiled. "I'll hang it up on my wall." Jude then went over to me and handed me a piece of paper.

"You can share with Daddy," Jude said. I smiled and picked him up, sitting Jude on my lap.

"Thank you. I think your Daddy will really like it," I said back. I showed it to Dean and he smiled weakly.

"Thank you," Dean said. "Job?"

"Might be," I answered. I handed Dean the newspaper and he looked it over. Bobby explained to him what they knew so far and I tried to entertain Jude. I knew that he could tell that something was wrong but I didn't want to worry him, especially since Dean would most likely being going off of a hunt soon. This little boy really did take after his father. He was beginning to worry too much too.

"Dean," a voice said. We all turned around to see Sam standing in the door way. Oh my God. I could see it already. He was back to normal. He had a soul!

"Sam?" Dean asked back. Sam made his way towards Dean slowly and Dean got up. Sam pulled Dean into a tight hug and they shared a long, brotherly, 'I've missed you' hug. Sam then moved on to Bobby and hugged him tightly. Bobby was still a little sensitive after last time when he tried to kill Bobby, but Bobby hugged him back.

"Good to see you," Bobby said.

"Wait, I saw-, I mean, I felt Lucifer snap your neck," Sam stuttered.

"Cas brought me back," Bobby replied.

"Cas is alive?" Sam asked, his eyes widening and a small smile on his face. Wait a minute, did he not remember what had gone on for the past year and half? Sam then looked at me and grinned.

"Oh my God, Meredith! You're- you're so pregnant!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

"Thanks, Sam," I said, laughing a little. "I'll take that as a compliment?"

"No, you should. God, you look beautiful. You're having your second child?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding. Oh my God. He didn't remember.

"Oh my God, Dean… Jude's gotten so big. Look at him. Hey, buddy! I'm your Uncle Sam, remember me? You saw me last when you were little but look at you! How old are you now?" Sam asked.

"Three," Jude replied, proudly, holding up three fingers.

"Woah! Three going on thirty," Sam said.

"Sam, are you okay?" Dean asked. Sam looked over at his brother.

Sam nodded, "Actually uh… I'm starving."

"I'll make you something," I said, smiling politely before taking Jude in the kitchen with me. Things were so weird. The three men followed us into the kitchen and I made Sam a sandwich. By now, it was obvious that he didn't remember anything that had happened but it was still really weird. "Sweetie, why don't you go sit at the table with Grandpa, Daddy, and your Uncle Sammy. Do you want me to make you anything?"

"Juice, please," Jude replied.

"Okay, let me fill your sippy cup up," I said. Jude handed me his cup and I refilled it, bringing Sam's sandwich and Jude's juice back to the table. I got two cups of water, one for me and one for Sam, and then sat down at the table myself.

"So Sam, what's the last thing you remember?" Dean asked.

"The field, and then I fell," Sam shrugged, more interested in his sandwich than Dean's question. "Wow, Meredith this is great."

"Thanks," I said back.

"Okay and then what?" Dean inquired.

"I woke up in the panic room," Sam answered.

"That's it?" Bobby asked.

"Can I make card for Uncle Sammy?" Jude asked.

I nodded, "Sure. Jude, you've been very interested in making cards for people lately."

"I like to draw and make people feel better," Jude replied.

"Okay," I smiled.

"You really don't remember-," Bobby started to ask.

"Let's be glad!" Dean interrupted, looking over at Bobby. He turned back to Sam. "Who wants to remember all that hell?"

"Well-, well how long was I gone?" Sam asked. I knew I had to stay out of it. This was between Sam and Dean.

"A year and a half," Dean answered. I really didn't want Jude to hear about this. He didn't to hear about Hell at this age.

"Hey, Jude, why don't we go make cards in the living room?" I asked.

"But I want to stay with Daddy and Uncle Sam," Jude protested.

"I know, but they need to have grown up time. You can come back and stay later, okay?" I asked.

"Later?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," I said.

"Okay," he agreed. I took Jude into the other room and let Dean and Sam talk. I knew that they needed the time.

Later, Dean was getting ready to leave on another hunt, just he and Sam.

"Hey, you gonna be okay?" I asked Dean. Sam was waiting in the car and Dean and I were on the porch. He had already said goodbye to Jude and now it was just us.

"Yeah, my brother's back. For real this time," Dean smiled.

"Yeah, but you have to lie to him," I said.

"It's, it doesn't matter right now. I just want him back," Dean said.

I sighed, "Alright, well have fun, okay? And don't do anything dumb."

Dean chuckled, "You know I will. We should be back in a couple of days. Bye, I love you."

"I love you too," I said back. Dean kissed me once before pulling away.

"It's better this way. Did you see the way that he greeted us? I miss that Sammy, don't you?" Dean asked.

I nodded slowly, thinking back to the fight that Sam and I had had, "Yeah, I guess so. I'll see you when you get back."

"Yeah, I'll see you," Dean said.

"You too," I replied, before we shared one longer, passionate kiss. Dean smiled at me and then got into the Impala and drove away. I knew he needed to be with Sam now. He had missed him and he hadn't had his Sam for a year and half now. I understood that.

* * *

><p><strong>Molly: Come to the store? I have a surprise for you!<strong>

**Meredith: Sure. Mind if Jude comes along?**

**Molly: Of course not (: Looking forward to seeing you both.**

**Meredith: Be there in a few.**

As soon as Jude and I got to Molly's store, we walked in and Molly practically leaped from her desk out of excitement. I shot her a strange look. Why was she so excited?

"Hey, what's so urgent?" I asked. Jude then strayed from me, going over to Molly.

"Hey, buddy!" she exclaimed, picking him up in her arms. "You just love your Aunt Molly, don't ya?" Jude laughed wildly.

"Yes!" he smiled.

I chuckled, "Yes, he does."

"Hey, do you think I could put you down? I've got a little surprise for your mommy," Molly asked Jude.

"Okay. Ooh, a surprise. Mommy likes surprise," Jude started.

"Mommy does not like surprises. Molly, what's going on?" I asked, giving her a funny look.

"Well, I talked to Dean and he told me about how much you loved your dress that I made you for Jude's birthday party. I figured since you're seven months along and you've have… well… Mer, I'm going to be honest with you, have gotten much more pregnant, that I'd make you a new dress. Surprise!" Molly said, pulling out another dress. It was a beautiful, deep purple one shouldered dress. On the top, it was a deep purple while the skirt of the dress was black. The material was silky smooth and gorgeous. I was so lucky to have a designer friend while pregnant.

"Oh, Molly it's stunning. Thank you so much," I gasped as soon as I saw the beautiful dress.

"See, I told you you'd like this surprise! Now go put it on," Molly ordered.

"Oh, but I don't have anywhere to wear it!" I started.

Molly shook her head in defiance, "Uh uh. Just go put it on! I have somewhere you can wear it and that's where we're going next!"

"What?" I asked.

"Yep. That's part two of your surprise," she smiled.

"But-," I started.

"No 'buts'! You liked part one of the surprise so you're bound to like part two of the surprise. Now go and put that beautiful dress on, put on your nice flats, and don't spoil this surprise!" Molly ordered. She smiled at me. "Go!"

"Alright, alright! You are so bossy," I chuckled.

"You love it. Now go," Molly said.

I went into the back in one of the changing room and pulled the curtain shut. I stripped my clothing off and slipped the dress on. Wow, it was nice. I put the flats on that Molly had also given me. I'm glad she didn't give me heels because I was not in the mood for any high heels at the moment. Something about being ridiculously pregnant just didn't agree with high heels. I collected my other clothes and then left the dressing room.

"Molly, it's beautiful, really. I don't even know what to say," I said.

"Alright, time to go! We're going to be late. Jude is on board. Let's go!" Molly hurried, trying to get me out of the store.

"Late for what?" I asked, attempting to get some kind of information out of her.

"Nope. Now, I know you think I'm bad at keeping secrets, but my lips are sealed," Molly said.

I chuckled, "Alright then let's go so that the suspense will stop killing me. I'm already worrying about my husband. I don't need to worry about some crazy surprise you're springing on me."

"You'll love it. I promise," Molly smiled, before getting her purse and leading me and Jude out of her store. Jude and I took my car while Molly took hers. We followed her since she knew where said surprise was going to be. We drove for a while and ended up parking outside of my house. Did she buy a new crib or something and it had just been delivered now? This was odd…

I got out of the car and then went to the side to unbuckle Jude from his car seat. I unbuckled him and then pulled him out of it, setting him down on the sidewalk right out in front of our house.

"We're home, Mama," Jude said.

"I know," I said back.

"But I thought Aunt Molly had surprise for you," Jude started.

"Hm, well maybe our surprise is at our house," I replied, shrugging. "I don't know what it is. That's why it's called a surprise! Let's go ask Aunt Molly."

"Aunt Molly, what's surprise?" Jude asked as he followed Molly up the stairs to our house.

"Did your Mommy put you up to this?" Molly asked.

Jude shook his head no, "I curious!"

"Yes, you are. You're just like your Mommy in that regard. You're about to find out," Molly said, opening the door and then holding it for Jude and I. Jude and I walked in and looked around. Nothing seemed different. Molly closed the door behind us and led us to the living room. As I got to the living room, my eyes widened and I gasped as soon as I saw the Andrea, Sawyer, and a couple of my female coworkers standing in my living room. All around them were gifts and blue things for the baby.

"Surprise!" they all yelled.

I turned to Molly, speechless, "Oh my God. You guys are throwing me a baby shower?"

"Surprise," Molly said.

"Oh my God," I practically squealed, hugging her. Everything was great and it was a perfect distraction for me after Dean left today. The shower got started and once things were winding down and everyone was leaving, it was only Sawyer, Molly, and I.

"Oh, you should open your gifts," Sawyer said.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yes! I'm so curious," Sawyer answered. "I'm also really excited about what you got. I got you a couple of things off of your register list so I hope that's okay. Open mine first!" Sawyer handed me a gift to open and I took it.

I laughed at her enthusiasm and then opened the gift. It was a big, elegant scrapbook. I flipped through the pages and marveled in amazement. "It's a baby book. It's for pictures and journal entries and documenting the milestones and stuff. Then you get to look back on it and wonder how they were ever that small. Uh… my mom made one for me. Dad's even in it a little. When she was in the hospital, we finished the last page with my recent stuff."

"Sawyer, it's beautiful. Thank you so much. Wow…"

"I thought you'd like it. I know Molly gave you something like this for Jude and I thought I'd bring you a little piece of my upbringing as well," Sawyer said.

"It's great, Sawyer," Molly commented.

"Thanks," she said.

"Alright, here's part three of my gift. This one was Ethan's idea. Practical but still definitely chic once I put my spin on it," Molly said. I opened up another package and it was a set of onesies for the baby that Molly had designed as well.

"Nice, Molly, you know you could design these as a new line of yours," I smiled, holding them all out. "Aw, Team Dean?"

"Well, yeah, after you told me about those Supernatural books I looked them up and happened to stumble upon a couple of message boards. You should see the amount of women online that are in love with your husband… well… your husband in those books," Molly teased.

I laughed, "It's great. And I'm sure that John will be Team Dean all the way."

"Mama, I want to be Team Daddy too," Jude said.

"You can be," I said back.

"Mama, when you had me, you get lots of presents too?" he asked.

"Yes, I did," I replied.

"When I have kids, I get presents?" he asked, curiously.

I laughed, "Yes. Well, you and your wife will. This is for Daddy too. And let's not rush it kid. You're only three years old. You've got lots of time to have kids." Sawyer and Molly laughed at Jude's sudden interest. "Thank you guys so much, though. This was really what I needed to take my mind off of Dean and stop worrying!"

"Well, we're glad that you enjoyed it," Molly said.

"Hah, well now we're left with cupcakes and a ton of baby stuff. Any ideas?" I asked.

"Uh, well, I have something to talk to you guys about," Sawyer brought up, a little fidgety.

"Oh, what is it?" I asked.

"Okay, so, I've started seeing this new guy, his name is Beckett and uh, I'm thinking about sleeping with him," Sawyer started.

"Wait, whatever happened with James?" Molly asked in surprise.

"It didn't work out," Sawyer shrugged.

"Sawyer, haven't you only been seeing this guy for a couple of weeks?" I asked.

"Oh don't look at me like that. Some of us aren't married to Dean the love machine," Sawyer teased.

"Hey! He is not- oh, who am I kidding? We have sex all the time," I chuckled.

"Lucky," Sawyer muttered.

Molly laughed, "This is true. I mean just look at you. You're on your second child."

"This is true," I agreed. "Sawyer, if you like him, I say go for it. Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons."

"I know," Sawyer nodded.

"So… no Sam?" I asked curiously.

Sawyer shook her head, "No. Sam has made it clear that he doesn't have time for that stuff. He-, he's different, Meredith. I… he's not the same guy I fell for back then. It's like he's this completely different person, you know? Someone I don't really know that I could be with."

"It's true. Ever since he got back, he's been strange," Molly said.

I nodded, "I know. He doesn't have a soul. Well, he didn't. I'm sorry, I know I should've told you before but for Dean, I didn't. It was, he was really upset about it all but he got it back. Dean got Sam's soul back and but there's a wall blocking him from his memories of Hell so you guys have to swear not to say anything to Sam about the past six months because he doesn't remember any of it and Dean's trying to keep it that way! He's normal though. He's kind and caring and, Sawyer, he's the same guy that chased Dean out of the motel room to yell at him for leaving me when I told Dean I was pregnant for the first time. I don't know how serious things are with you and this Beckett guy but uh, I don't know. I guess I was always rooting for you and Sam."

"Mer-," Sawyer started.

"Look, you don't have to just think about it," I offered.


	16. Christmas With the Winchesters

**Author's Note:** I've posted some banners on my profile for this story so please check them out! They're nothing special but they are pretty snazzy. I also realized that I've done so many Christmas chapters but they're so fun and I was inspired over the holiday . Thanks for reading!

* * *

><p>"Wake up, wake up!" Jude exclaimed jumping up and down on the bed, waking both Dean and I up. I sleepily stretched as I opened my eyes and saw my overly joyous son jumping on the bed. I laughed. Dean sat up in bed.<p>

"Jude Robert Winchester, if you break this box spring you're sleeping on the floor for the rest of the night. Your Daddy and I will just steal your bed," I teased.

"No. Too big!" Jude replied.

"I'm too big?" I asked playfully shocked.

"No, you and Daddy too big," he laughed, continuing to jump on the bed.

"Come over here, you," Dean said, grabbing his son and pulling him down onto the bed. Jude laughed as Dean held him close to him. "Why are you up so early, dude? There's nothing special about today, is there?"

"Yeah! It's Christmas, silly Daddy," Jude replied, wiggling around in Dean's arms.

"Is it Christmas already?" I asked, playfully.

"Yeah, silly Mommy," Jude said, before bursting into another fit of giggles.

"Oh, so we're both silly?" Dean asked.

"Uh huh," Jude replied.

"You know, maybe we should go see if Santa brought you any presents. You have been awfully good this year," I started.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Jude encouraged.

"Alright, let's go," I smiled.

"Okay Jude, why don't you go to your room and get ready because Mommy and I have to do something first," Dean said.

"I can go now," Jude started.

"Did you brush your teeth yet, Mr?" Dean asked. Jude gave him a guilty smile. "That's what I thought. So go brush your teeth and then we'll be ready. How does that sound?"

"Okay!" Jude complied, before climbing off of our bed and running as fast as his little 3-year old legs would take him. I chuckled.

"So when exactly are we going to tell him about Santa Clause not being real?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "I don't know. We wanted to give him as normal of a life as possible and he's only three so it really doesn't hurt for him to still believe."

"Yeah, you're right. It's just weird though thinking about how we were those obnoxious kids that ran around telling everyone that Santa Clause wasn't real," Dean smirked.

"Um, correction, you were the one that ran around telling all the other kids that Santa Clause wasn't real, not me," I rebutted.

"Eh, you're right," Dean said, satisfied. Dean got up and peed and brushed his teeth while I put on a bathrobe. It was a little bit cold and I was only wearing an oversized t-shirt and some underwear. I put some pajama pants on underneath the bathrobe before going into the bathroom where Dean was finishing up.

"Alright, well I'm going to go brush my teeth and then wake Sam up. Can you take care of Jude?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure," Dean said, before retiring his toothbrush to its place on the bathroom sink. I picked up my toothbrush and rinsed it under the tap water. "Hey, Mer?"

"Yeah?" I asked, turning around to look at Dean.

"This is good, isn't it?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"This, us, our family – not to mention that we're going to have another member of it in about a month," Dean said, glancing at my very pregnant belly. I reached down and touched my hand to my stomach, smiling. He was right. This was good. It felt so good.

"Yeah, it is," I answered, simply.

He smiled before leaving me and going to get Jude in his room. Shortly after, I finished up in the bathroom and went to our guest room that Sam was staying in. Dean and Sam had taken a break from hunting over the holidays because Dean wanted to be home and Sam wanted to spend some time getting to know Jude. I knocked on the door gently before opening the door. Sam stirred and then turned over in bed to face me.

"It's morning already?" Sam asked.

"Mhm. Jude was our little alarm clock this morning. We're probably going to start the whole Christmas morning thing soon so the poor guy doesn't explode. He's really happy that Dean's home and that you're here too. I think it's his first Christmas that he really feels like everyone is here," I replied.

"Yeah, sure. I'm up," Sam said, getting up out of bed. He was in pajama shorts and t-shirt. "Thanks for letting me stay, by the way."

"Oh, it's no problem at all! We all want you here and we figured you should stay with us now that we have a house. We actually have room!" I chuckled.

"Yeah," Sam laughed a little. Sam and I both went downstairs together and into the living room where Dean and Jude were waiting.

"Alright, you don't have to wait anymore! Go ahead and open your presents," I said, as soon as we sat down. I sat on the edge of the couch while Jude sat in front of me on the floor. He anxiously tore open the wrapping paper and his eyes widened as soon as he saw his gift.

"Toy cars! Cool. Just like Daddy's," Jude smiled, looking over the toy car set that Dean had bought him. "Thank you."

"Merry Christmas, kiddo. Okay, you can open another one," Dean said.

"No, Daddy and Mommy and Uncle Sammy's turn," Jude said.

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jude said. He then pushed a wrapped gift towards me and a wrapped gift towards Sam and Dean. "Go!"

"Wow, your son is quite the Christmas benefactor of the day," Sam joked. We opened our gifts.

"Woah! This knife is one of the best. How did you-," Dean started, looking at me.

"Santa Clause made it, remember?" I asked, reminding Dean to at least try to not spoil the whole Santa Clause thing for Jude.

Dean coughed, "Mhm. Right. Santa Clause made me a knife…"

"Cool," Jude said, eyeing it.

"Oh, wow. You guys, I mean… Santa… I really can't take this watch. I mean, I like it, I do. It's just… expensive," Sam started.

"Merry Christmas, Sam," I said, not taking that for an answer.

"You guys-," he started.

"No," Dean and I both said in unison.

"Thank you," he said back with a small chuckle.

"What about you, Mama?" Jude asked, curiously.

"Well, let's see here," I said, carefully unwrapping the wrapping paper. I pulled the slender package out and gasped as soon as I saw that elegant, sleek fountain pen. "Oh my God, it's beautiful." I always ranted about how much I just wanted one good pen but I never thought Dean actually took that stuff into account. I never even took that seriously! I was obsessed with finding a good pen though because I loved to write.

"Santa must know how much your Mommy loves to write," Dean started.

"It's beautiful, really," I said. I mouthed 'thank you' to Dean and he just shook his head like it wasn't a big deal. It meant so much to me that he had gotten this. I loved it. We finished up gifts and once we were done, we moved on to a breakfast of waffles, hot cocoa, and eggs. Christmas morning had gone wonderfully and now we had a dinner to look forward to at Andrea's this evening.

* * *

><p>The whole café was lit up and it looked beautiful. The whole gang was together again and for some reason it just felt whole. It was all of us: Me, Dean, Jude, Sam, Andrea, Molly, Ethan, Bobby, Sawyer, and Cameron and Blake would be coming in a matter of minutes. It was a typical gather for us. Lots of people scattered around. Dean, and Sam were sitting on the floor while they played cars with Jude; Molly and Ethan were curled up in a corner looking all cute and couple-y; Sawyer as with Andrea and Bobby. I was pretty sure that they were asking her all about the publishing company. Just then, the door opened and the little bell rang and Cameron walked through the door. I smiled as soon as I saw him and ran over to him. I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.<p>

"Oh my God, it's so good to see you!" I exclaimed, before pulling away.

"Yeah, you too. Woah, look at you! I heard you guys were having another baby but wow, you look about ready!" Cameron said.

I laughed, "I'm due in January."

"Congratulations," Cameron said.

"So how is everything? How's college? God, I can't believe you're a junior already!" I asked, happily. It was heartwarming that everyone was coming back together.

"I know," Cameron chuckled. It feels like just yesterday I was a junior in high school and was giving you a hard time. God, I was such an obnoxious kid."

"Oh, you were not! After I verbally kicked your ass a little bit, you finally settled down, got your grades up and uh, ended up living with us. And would you look at that? You turned out great," I teased.

Cameron laughed, "It's so good to be back. Sorry we just got in. Blake and I decided we'd spend the first half of the break with her parents and then spend the rest of it with my family," Cameron replied. I smiled. His family. Yes, we were his family.

"Aw, it's really great that you two are still together. I know you went through a lot of weird stuff when college started," I said.

"Yeah, but at least by junior year we got things worked out. The distance isn't so bad but I think we've gotten used to it," Cameron replied.

"Hey, baby. Sorry, I had to find a better parking spot than the one you saw. It was awful, Cameron," Blake said, coming in from the door and joining us.

"You made her park?" I exclaimed shooting him a 'did I teach you nothing?' look.

"She volunteered!" Cameron replied.

"I did volunteer. Hi, Meredith. Oh my God, you look great," Blake squealed, hugging me.

"You too. I can't believe you two are here! And just in time for another crazy gathering," I said.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world," Blake smiled.

"Uncle Cameron! Aunt Blake!" Jude exclaimed.

"Hey, dude," Cameron said, swooping Jude up into his arms. "Look at you! You're getting so big! How old are you know, like twenty?"

"Three," Jude said, holding up three fingers.

"That's crazy, man. I could've sworn you were twenty!" Cameron exclaimed.

"Hey, now. Let's not rush it," I interjected.

Cameron laughed, "Your mom doesn't want you to grow up, huh buddy?"

"Hey, is there any kind of warm beverage around here? I'm freezing and could definitely use something," Blake asked.

"Yeah, come with me. We've got some apple cider and hot chocolate over by Andrea. Besides, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you," I replied.

"Okay, sounds good," Blake giggled before the two of us made our way to the counter where Andrea, Bobby, and Sawyer were.

Finally we had dinner and it was so nice to feel normal for once. Dean and Sam weren't out on the road and our whole unconventional slightly dysfunctional family was finally all together again. I guess that's what I loved most about the holidays. Finally, things started to settle again and everyone dispersed to different places around the room.

"Mama, Uncle Sammy plays cars with me all night long," Jude grinned.

"I know he has. He loves you very much but why don't we relieve Uncle Sammy from car playing duties and let your Daddy step in? I think he wants to teach you some stuff about the models," I started.

"Your mom is right. There are some important things you should know about these cars, son," Dean said, stepping in. Sam got up and stood with me as we watched Dean and Jude play with the cars on the floor.

"Thank you, Sam," I said to him.

"It's no problem at all. He's great. You two really lucked out on this one. Hopefully the next one will be just as great," Sam said back.

"Yeah," I smiled, placing my hand on my very pregnant belly once again. I was going to have another baby in less than a month. Wow, that was a scary idea but I was ready. We were ready. "Déjà vu, huh?"

"What? The you and me talks?" Sam asked back, a small smile on his face.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Meredith, I wanted to say sorry for anything that I ever did or said to hurt you when I was soulless. Dean uh, he told me about the fight you and I had and I just wanted to say-," Sam started.

"Oh, Sam. Believe me. That fight was a lot of me yelling at you. If anyone should be sorry here, it's me," I said back.

"I just feel horrible that I can't remember and that I did some awful things," Sam said.

I shook my head, "Don't. You didn't do anything. You tried your hardest to connect with Jude and you were there for Dean and, he was just glad to have you back, you know? When he found out you were still alive, that relief that he felt, I can't thank you enough for that. It was like he didn't have to worry anymore. Well , that was until two seconds later because you and I both know that Dean never actually stops worrying."

Sam laughed, "He never really does."

"Uh uh," I said back. "Sam, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

"Do you still have feelings for Sawyer?" I asked.

"Uh… why do you ask?" Sam asked back.

"Because I see the way you look at her and, Sam, I know that she's seeing other guys and that you want what's best for her, but I'm not really sure that those other guys are what's best for her," I replied.

"What're you saying, Meredith?" Sam asked.

"I'm just saying… I'm saying that I've always been rooting for you two. You're good together," I replied.

"You know she'd kill you if she knew you were playing matchmaker here," Sam chuckled.

I nodded, "Yeah, I know. But it's about two people I care very much about and two people I think care a lot about each other. It's never been the right time but… when is it really the right time? Dean and I never had a 'right time' but we got married and have a beautiful son. I'm not saying that you should marry her and have tons of kids but I am saying that you two never gave it a real shot."

Sam sighed, "I know. I just… I don't know. She probably doesn't even- never mind."

"You'd be surprised, Sam," I said.

"I'm going to get another beer. Do you-, I mean, do you want water or a soda or something?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm good thanks," I replied.

"Uncle Sammy. Come back and play cars!" Jude encouraged.

"Looks like I'm back on car game duty," Sam chuckled.

"Guess so," I said back.

"He's really stuck on that Sammy thing, huh?" Sam asked.

I laughed, "Like father, like son."

"I guess so," Sam replied, before going to get another beer. I watched as he returned to Jude. Sam was an amazing uncle. I looked over to see that Sawyer had joined them playing with the toy cars.

"Hey, we're going to leave. Ethan's got an early day tomorrow and I'm exhausted," Molly said, approaching me.

"Oh, no already?" I asked.

"Yeah, I hope that's okay," she said.

"Oh, you're fine. Well, goodbye. We'll talk tomorrow or something. You should come over for breakfast or something and see Jude. He's been dying for Aunt Molly to come over again and watch cartoons with him," I replied.

"I may actually take you up on that. My surgeon husband leaves me all alone in the mornings with no one to watch cartoon with," Molly said.

"What about you're surgeon husband?" Ethan asked, coming up behind Molly and wrapping his arms around her. I smiled at the image of my two best friends together.

"Nothing. You ready to go?" Molly asked.

"Yeah. Bye, Mer," Ethan said.

"Bye, guys," I said back, before the two left.

Finally, I sat down and just took my time, enjoying the slight hum of the noise of everyone. I missed having this family all the time but we were all so busy.

"Hey, you," I heard a voice said, taking a seat next to me. I smiled at my gorgeous husband, sitting right next to me.

"Hi," I smiled.

"You look exhausted," he said.

"I am. Apparently carrying a baby is quite tiring," I joked.

He chuckled, "You know, Jude is so lucky to have all of this surrounding him. He has like ten uncles and aunts!"

I laughed, "This is true. We may unconventional, but he definitely has a family."

Dean nodded, "Why don't we get home soon? Curl up in bed and since we're not really having sex, I could read the baby a story."

I giggled again, "Yeah, sorry about that. I've really just not been in the mood for like, well, you know, the past four months."

Dean sighed, "Don't remind me."

"But curling up in bed and reading the baby a story sounds like a wonderful idea," I answered.

"Alright then," Dean said, offering his hand out to me. "Although we may have a hard time prying Jude out of Sam and Sawyer's grip. Look at those two love birds. One day they're going to realize that it's about damn time."

"Yeah. Hopefully that someday is soon. It's killing me, Dean!" I exclaimed.

"Me too. I just want to see him happy," Dean replied.

I nodded, "Me too."

* * *

><p><strong>~3<strong>**rd**** Person POV~**

"Look, I should get going Sam. It's been really great catching up though," Sawyer said.

"Yeah, you too," Sam replied. "Do you want me to walk you to your car or-."

"Oh, no it's okay," Sawyer replied.

"Right," Sam said. "Uh, goodnight."

"You too," Sawyer replied.

She gave Sam a short sweet smile before starting to walk towards her car. Any other day she would've said yes but she was seeing someone and she knew that if she fell into the Sam trap, then she'd be there for good. She hated herself for still having feelings for him. He probably didn't even feel the same way! She could've give in to those feelings or she knew she'd destroy every relationship with other men that she'd at least attempt to have. They had both agreed that the night of Meredith and Dean's wedding would be no strings attached but Sawyer hadn't forgotten it since. It had been the best night she had had ever not only because the sex was great but also because she knew that Sam was who she wanted to be with. She just knew she could've have him!

Things were just complicated. He was hunting and she wasn't. They were in two different places with their lives and it's not like they were Meredith and Dean! But then again, they weren't giving it a try. It could work. But then again, he probably didn't have the same feelings…

Sam stood there. He couldn't budge. Meredith's words echoed through his head and he knew if he didn't try something than he'd regret it.

"Sawyer, wait!" he called out.

"Yeah?" she asked, turning around, her eyes wide with hope that he wasn't going to say something mundane like 'you forgot your scarf' or something like that.

"You can't see him," Sam said.

"What?" Sawyer asked, taking a couple of steps towards Sam.

"That Beckett guy. You asked me what I thought about him. I've only met the guy once but… you can't see him, Sawyer because… because I know we said that things were no strings attached that night, but I can't forget about it like that. I know that you're seeing someone and I know that this is stupid and I'm 99.99% sure that you don't have the same feelings for me. I mean, it's been a little over four years, and, and we're in two different places in our lives. Hell, I've been soulless and I've been an ass and things have been awkward for the past six months. It would be ridiculous and out of the question to even try something but I am. I'm standing here and I'm trying," Sam said, practically pouring his heart out to her.

Sawyer just stood there, taken aback by his words. "Sorry, we can just forget that I said anything. This is, uh-." Sawyer shook her head and cut Sam off by crashing her lips against his.

"Yeah, okay. Let's try because you don't know how many different ways I've pictured you saying those words," Sawyer smiled, kissing him over and over again.

Sam pulled her in for a kiss and the two just stood there at the side of the café, kissing in the December cold.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**


	17. Welcome to the World, John Caleb W

**January 16, 2012**

"What do you think of this one?" Molly asked, showing me another sketch of hers. I looked it over a couple of times before replying to her.

"I like it a lot. It's different than the others ones which probably makes me like it even more," I answered.

Molly chuckled, "You were always one for the underdogs."

"Aunt Molly, you color for your job?" Jude asked curiously.

"Sort of, buddy. I have to come up with my own things to color though," Molly replied.

"Hm, I want to color for my job too," Jude smiled.

"Hey, do you mind if I used your bathroom again?" I asked.

"Not at all but this is like the fifth time you've peed in the past hour, Mer," Molly started.

"I know, but I'm pregnant and pregnant people have to pee like every five seconds," I replied.

"You're due any day now, right?" Molly asked.

I nodded, getting up and walking towards the bathroom in their apartment. Ethan was at the hospital and Molly was going to go into the store later today. She had invited me over for a girls' breakfast and so the two of us were finally spending that long overdue time together. I had brought Jude along but he just sat at the table, coloring. I put my hand to my stomach as soon as I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. I gasped.

"Mer, are you okay?" Molly asked, alarmed.

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the pain, "Um, yeah. I'm fine…"

"You sure? You just gasped and you look like you're in pain," Molly said, getting up and coming over to my side. I looked over at her with a smile on my face.

"Molly, it's time. I think I'm having the baby," I announced.

Molly gasped, "Right now?"

I nodded, "Yes, right now."

"Oh, okay. Okay. Um… deep breaths and… I'm going to go get my keys. Holy shit, Mer. You're having a baby again!" Molly exclaimed.

"I know, right?" I answered, overwhelmed. "Ow… wow those contractions hurt. I've-, Jude, sweetie, we're going to have to get into the car and go to the hospital now, okay?"

"Mama is okay?" Jude asked me.

"Yes, sweetie. Mama is fine, but you know that little brother I told you that you'd have very soon?" I asked. Jude nodded, looking curiously at me. "Well, we need to go to the hospital right now because I'm about to have your little brother right now. You're gonna have a brother soon."

"Okay," Jude said, hopping out of his chair and walking over towards me. Molly was scrambling around for her car keys and everything else she thought that we'd need. Suddenly, a feeling of panic washed over me.

"Mer, how long have you been having these contractions?" she asked.

"A couple of hours," I admitted, feeling a little guilty.

"A couple of hours? And you never said anything?" Molly asked.

"Well, apparently you're supposed to relax at this point but uh, I think we should get to the hospital now. The contractions are more frequent and… ow, my water just broke," I replied.

"Alright, let's-, woah, leather seats. Let's get a couple of towels first," Molly said, going into the back room and then coming back with a couple of towels.

"Molly, wait, I can't do this!" I exclaimed.

"Okay, please don't do this to me, Mer because I'm freaking out and you're freaking out and it's just one freak out fest and we'll get nowhere and you're kind of having a baby right now! Oh my God, we don't even have your stuff that you'll need and-," Molly rambled.

"Molly, Dean's not here. He called last night to tell me they were on their way back from a hunt but… I don't know how long it'll take. I can't do this without him. Not again," I said.

Molly nodded, "Okay, well, let's get you to the hospital first and we can wait for Dean there."

"But what if he doesn't get back in time?" I asked, panicked.

"Just… clamp your knees together!" Molly exclaimed, out of panic.

"Clamp my knees together?" I exclaimed back, laughing a little.

"Yes, which is what you should've done nine months ago. Mer, you're going to be fine. We'll uh, call Cas, that angel guy. Maybe he can get Dean and angel his way here. Just get in the car. We've got to go. Look, it's going to be okay, Meredith. Dean will be here and… you're about to have another baby," Molly said, reminding me of the positives.

I smiled, "You're right. Deep breaths, and… okay, let's go. But wait one minute. I need to get in touch with Dean."

"Okay, here's my cell phone," Molly said, starting to pull out her phone from her purse.

"Oh, no. I think you're first idea will be the most effective. I'm going to call Cas," I said back. "Cas! Cas, it's an emergency. It's about John, the new baby! We could really use some help! It's urgent, Cas…" I looked around desperately for the angel. Jude was at my side and Molly began to look around a little. I turned around and practically jumped as soon as I saw Cas.

"Is everything alright with the baby?" Cas asked, in his regular stoic manner, although this time, he sounded concerned.

"Um, yeah… sort of…" I replied.

"What does that mean?" Cas asked back.

"Well, the baby is fine. I'm just uh, I'm kind of having it… now," I replied.

Cas' eyes widened, "Oh, well that's a good thing, right?"

"Yes and no. It's a good thing but I can't do this without Dean. I need you to go to him and tell him what's going on and if he's too far away, use your angel transporting power thingies to get him here because I can't do it without him again and the baby's coming," I said, wincing at the sharp pains, I was feeling.

Cas nodded, "Okay." He was gone in an instant so we hurried to the car and drove off to the hospital.

_**Meanwhile…**_

Dean tapped his fingers to the loud music blaring through the music in the Impala. He was just glad to be getting home from the last hunt, back to his family. Being on the road always made Dean nervous. He was so afraid that he'd come back and they'd all be dead. He wouldn't let that happen no matter what. Sam was leaning up against the window on the passenger side, dozing off in a light sleep. Dean glanced into the rearview mirror at the empty backseat and then returned his eyes on the road. He looked back in the rearview mirror again and practically had a heart attack as soon as he saw Cas sitting in the back seat.

"Dean," Cas started.

"Jesus, Cas! You scared the hell out of me!" Dean exclaimed. "Don't do that, man!"

"Sorry. It's Meredith. How far are you away from Sioux Falls Hospital?" Cas asked.

"Is everything okay? What happened?" Dean asked, panicked.

"Everything is fine. Meredith is having the baby and says she can't do it without you," Cas said.

"Well, it's a good thing we're only a about two hours away from Sioux Falls. The hospital won't be too far once we get into the city," Dean replied.

"Oh. You should call her. I think she's really panicking," Cas replied.

"Okay, for me, please, Cas. Go to her. Make sure nothing happens to her… you know, anything demonic or anything," Dean replied. Before Cas replied, he vanished and was gone, back to Meredith. Dean shook his brother lightly as he sped up about ten miles.

"What?" Sam exclaimed, jolting awake.

"Sammy, I'm going to be a dad again. Meredith's having the baby," Dean smiled, proudly.

"Oh my God. Oh my God! Well, let's get there! How far away are we?" Sam asked, straightening up.

"About two hours. Do you think we should call Cas back. Have him angel us there? I can't miss it again, this time," Dean said, nervously.

"No, she'll be in labor for a couple of hours. Let's call though. Make sure she knows we're on our way," Sam said.

Dean nodded and then smiled, "Shit, Sammy… I'm going to have another son."

* * *

><p>After Sam and Dean's reassuring phone call, I was waiting in the hospital. I only had a couple of hours left before it would be time to start pushing and that scared the hell out of me, especially because Dean wasn't there. Molly had just gone back to get my hospital bag from my house and I was walking around in the maternity ward to try to calm my nerves. Jude was with Ethan in the lobby, coloring. I took deep, relaxing breaths so that I wouldn't panic.<p>

"Wow, this is really happening, huh?" I heard a voice ask. I turned around and relief washed over me as I smiled as saw Dean.

"Oh thank God you're here," I said, walking over to him.

"Hi," Dean said, pulling me into his arms.

"Hi," I replied. "So how was the hunt?"

"It was fine but what about you? How are you? Is everything okay…? How much longer do we have?" Dean asked, urgently.

"Everything is fine. They gave me drugs to help with the pain for when I actually deliver the baby but I really don't want to talk about it right now. The drugs aren't really helping with the current pain and I'm kind of freaking out and I need you to tell me about you and distract me," I said, desperately, as I paced up a small portion of the hall.

"Um… the hunt was fine… I guess… Mer, I'm bad at talking about hunts and stuff," Dean replied.

"Okay, well then tell me a story," I replied, a little bit irritated and desperate for a distraction.

"What kind of story?" Dean asked, overwhelmed.

"Any story in the history of the world, Dean!" I exclaimed. I took a deep breath. "Sorry, I'm… kind of freaking out as you can see."

Dean chuckled, "Baby, all I can think of right now is… little red riding hood. I don't know why or- but that's all I can think of right now and-."

I took a deep breath, "A different story, Dean." I begged.

"But you just said-," Dean started but I just glared at him. I felt bad because I could tell that we were both starting to panic but I was freaking out already. "Sorry. Um… okay… well, have I ever told you the story about a high school jerk that lied about his virginity and the beautiful, smart, sarcastic girl that he grew up with?"

I smiled, "I like that story. Tell me that story." I took a deep breath, letting a wave of relaxation wash over me. I looked up into Dean's eyes and knew that everything was okay. I could tell that he was less panicked too. He smiled back at me before continuing the story. "One day, after his then friend tried to force himself on the girl, he knew that it was time to make a move…"

**~Flashback~**

_"This photo booth thing could be fun," he suggested, pointing to a small photo booth where people went in and it just took pictures and then printed them out on a strip of film paper. I shrugged._

_"Yeah, sure, why not? Like you said, it could be fun," I said. Dean and I paid and then went into the small photo booth. "How do we even fit into this?"_

_"It's small, I know," Dean commented as we squished into the photo booth. There was a flash and the camera began taking pictures. The first couple of them were us just smiling and then they became silly. Dean and I began making funny faces._

_"That is the best I've ever looked," I joked._

_"Yeah, that was a really attractive face, Summers," Dean teased._

_"Hey," I said, nudging him playfully._

_Dean and I both laughed and there was another flash. We both leaned in, our foreheads touching. There was another flash. Dean glanced down at my lips and I at his. It was now or never. I leaned in farther, our lips centimeters apart from each other. Another flash. I finally closed the gap and kissed Dean. He kissed me back, pulling me closer to him. One flash. Another flash. Another flash. Dean's lips moved against mine rhythmically. The kiss was amazing. It left me with no thoughts of my mind: clarity. His hand went to my face, cupping it. He pulled me closer to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. His other arm went around my waist, pulling me closer than ever to him. My legs draped over his lap. Last flash._

_"Your time is up," the machine said. Dean and I pulled away from each other, breathing hard. Dean Winchester, the boy I had had feelings for, for a very long time, one of my best friends, and someone who cared for me, had just kissed me in a photo booth. Dean and I had just made out in a photo booth._

_Instead of saying something, Dean and I just exchanged glances and smiled. I untangled myself from Dean and got up. He followed me out of the photo booth and I took the photos as they printed. I glanced at the strip._

_"These are __some __photos," I chuckled. I bit my lip and then looked at them, folding them in half and then sticking them in my back pocket._

_Dean laughed, "You're not even going to let me see them?"_

_"No," I replied, rolling my eyes playfully._

_His hand neared my back pocket but I swatted it away, "Nice try."_

_"Damn. Alright, let's get you home. You've been whining about going home all day…" Dean said._

_"I have not!" I protested._

_"Yeah you have," Dean replied, wrapping his arm around me._

_I rolled my eyes playfully as the two of us walked out of the mall. I bit my lip. I had this warm fuzzy feeling inside. I could tell that this was just the beginning of a really good._

**End Flashback~**

"And then they fell in love. Now they have a son and soon enough they'll have-," Dean started.

"Another son," I completed.

He smiled, "Yeah."

"I love you, you know that?" I asked.

"I love you too," he said back. Dean took my hands in his and I knew that I could do this. If I could do it the first time, I could definitely do it this time. We were building our own family together.

* * *

><p>"Look at you. You and Dean really are having that family that you always wanted," Molly said, coming into my hospital room. I was sitting down on the couch that was right near the bed. I was sitting up on the hospital bed.<p>

I smiled, "Hey, you."

"Wow, you seem a lot more calm than you were earlier," Molly said.

I sighed, "Yeah, Dean and I talked and he uh, calmed me down."

"You know, I remember the when you and him got back together. I was so afraid that he'd break your heart again. Hell, I practically blamed myself for the first time he did when he left after graduation but… you two are probably the most functioning couple I know," Molly reminisced, sitting down on the edge of my bed.

I giggled, "Well, it wasn't always that way."

"Oh, I know," Molly laughed.  
><em><strong><br>~Flashback~**_  
><em><br>"Is that all?" I asked, through gritted teeth._

_"Yeah," Dean spat._

_"Good," I replied._

_"Fine," Dean said back._

_"Fine," I said. He was not going to get the last word. Dean glared at me._

_"Can I borrow you for a second?" he asked, although it did not sound like a question. He got up from his place and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me after him. As soon as the two of us got out of the Roadhouse I jerked away from him._

_"Don't touch me!" I demanded, angrily._

_"What, baby? You used to love it when I touched you," Dean teased. Dean stood behind me and got closer. I could feel his lips on my ear as he whispered, "If I recall correctly you would scream my name." No matter how much I hated him at the moment, I was still greatly physically attracted to him. I turned around and pushed him away from me._

_"Ugh! I hate you!" I practically screamed. "Jesus, Dean. Is that why you brought me out here? To taunt me with sexual innuendos and endlessly torture me?"_

_"Jesus, what's your problem, Meredith?" Dean asked back._

_"What's my problem? What is my problem? You are my problem, Dean Winchester. You are such a, God, forget about it," I said, rolling my eyes._

_"No, tell me," Dean demanded._

_"Ever since I got here you've mentioning sex every other second and have been trying to push me over the edge. And then you start flirting with Jo. You hit on practically every woman we've seen so far. Do you want to drive me insane? Do you think I like being here? No, but Bobby called me because he's been worried about you. For just one second if you could think about someone but yourself!" I screamed._

_"Oh right, what a martyr," Dean said, sarcastically._

_"Fuck you, Dean," I spat. There was this fire burning in my belly. I just couldn't stop saying the hurtful the words that were coming out of my mouth._

_"Really? I'm being selfish here?" Dean asked._

_"Yes! Ughh! You'd think that after two times in a row that I'd learn my lesson but here I am, Dean. Obviously you don't see that I care and you know what? I hate caring about you, Dean. I hate fucking caring about you because it only screws me over. And I wish I didn't. I really wish that I didn't but I do and it sucks," I said._

_"Wow, they're really mad at each other," Jo said, from inside the Roadhouse._

_"Yeah…" Sam trailed off. "That is a very, very long story."_

_"I have time," Jo said, straightening up in her seat by the window._

_"You're the one who came over," Dean argued._

_"Oh right, this is all my fault now. Just because I wanted to see what you guys were talking about-, yes, I was curious okay?" I said, defensively._

_"Curiosity killed the cat," Dean shrugged._

_"Argh!" I practically screamed._

_"Look, sure, I've been out of line but you don't think I'm going through shit too?" Dean asked._

_"Oh please, I know you're going through shit but that doesn't give you an excuse to be such a dick. At least you could do is talk about it but wait, I forgot you too manly to talk about it. I should've never come here in the first place," I said, walking away._

_"Then fine," Dean said back._

_"Fine," I replied, storming off. Although it felt good to get away from Dean it also hurt that he didn't follow me. He didn't even try to stop me._

_"Meredith, get your ass back here!" Dean yelled. I kept walking. He had to ask nicely._

_"Meredith, wait," Dean said, sincerely this time. I stopped in my tracks. God, as much as I hated him, he still had me I the palm of his hands. I didn't say anything. I just stood there. "How are you going to get back?"_

_"I'll walk if I have to," I yelled. I kept walking away as I heard quick footsteps behind me. Dean grabbed me by the wrist and I tried to pull away from him. "God, Dean leave me the fuck alone, just get off of me!"_

_Instead of doing what I asked, Dean just pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. I struggled against him and then when I knew it was no use, gave in. I just stood there and he held me to him. I could hear his heart beat, a sound that I used to love and was too ashamed and proud to admit that I still did. I stood there, my arms dangling at my sides. I did not want him to know that this meant anything. My face was squished against his chest. So what? He thought that this was going to make everything better?_

_"Please, stay with me. We could really use your help," Dean said. I pulled away from him gently and looked up into his eyes. This was one of those rare, emotionally vulnerable moments that Dean had had._

_I swallowed, knowing that I would regret this later, "Okay."_

**~End Flashback~**

"I remember you used to call me after something in tears and I felt so awful that I wasn't able to be there for you but you two always worked things out," Molly said.

I nodded, "We did, didn't we?"

"You did," Molly replied. "Oh my God, do you remember the day after the deal? You left him in the morning, called me and was so afraid of what was going to happen next."

"Oh my God, I do remember that…." I replied. "That was the day that I realized that we were really in this for good."

**~Flashback~**

"Can we talk?" I asked.

"Sure," Dean replied.

"Look, I'm sorry for this morning… leaving you. I just… I needed to clear my head," I started.

"Do you not want to do this… us, anymore?" Dean asked.

"No, that's not what I'm saying, Dean! I love you so much and I don't want you to go through this alone. I want to be here for you through it all, I-, I'm in this, Dean. I just, I've had to process a lot. You just, last night, you told me that you were dying, we screamed at each other and then had angry sex. That's a lot for me to take in," I explained, sighing.

"Very good, angry sex," Dean corrected, a small smirk on his face.

I chuckled, "Yes, very good, angry sex. I'm not running away from you, whether you like it or not. You're stuck with me." I nudged him playfully and he smiled. "See, there's that smile. I've missed it."

"I just don't want to drag you back into this or hurt you in any way. It seems like we're both all over the place right now and sometimes… you just happen to be in my line of fire and I can't help it," Dean said.

"No, I know. But I'm crazy about you, Dean. I know it's a little masochistic but I don't care. I want to be here for you and hell, you may not even want me to be here for you. I know you want your time and your space, but I just want you to know that I'm not scared. I'm not afraid of this and I'm not going to run away from this," I said back.

"You're the strongest girl I know," Dean nodded.

"I highly doubt that. It's just the crazy things you do for love," I joked.

Dean leaned in and kissed me quickly, "I love you too. I'm sorry if I don't say it enough to you."

I shook my head, "You're perfect."

"I highly doubt that," Dean replied.

"You are," I said, leaning in and kissing him. He may not believe it, but to me he was. _For_me, he was. Sure, he had his flaws. We could all see that, but to me, that didn't matter. They only made me love him more and if he only had a year to live, well then hell, I was going to give him all the love I had.

* * *

><p>"Okay, one more big push, Meredith. You're doing great. You're almost done," the doctor encouraged.<p>

"You're doing great, baby," Dean said. I squeezed his hand hard and pushed for one last time, crying out. It hurt but then it was over. Dean and I exchanged glances as we heard the first cry of the baby.

"Congratulations, it's a boy," the doctor said. The doctor handed our baby over to a midwife to clean up and swaddle in a blanket. I let out a sob as I saw our baby.

"You did so good, Mer," Dean said. He was grinning and I could tell that he was so proud.

"Would you like to see your son?" the midwife asked.

Dean and I exchanged glances and I nodded, "Yes." She smiled and then handed the baby over me. I held him in my arms for the first time and started to tear up.

"He's so beautiful, Mer," Dean smiled.

I nodded, "Welcome to the world, John Caleb Winchester." I held John up a little to look at Dean. "That's your Daddy."

"Hey, kiddo. Look at you," Dean marveled.

Dean and I looked at each other again, happy and proud parents.

* * *

><p>The next day, I was allowed to go home with our beautiful baby. I was exhausted and knew that there were many more exhausting times ahead, but it would all be worth it. We had finally gotten John to fall asleep and so Dean and I crashed and went to sleep as well.<p>

I woke up to the sound of John crying and started to get up.

"No, don't get up. I'll go," Dean said, nodding. He got out of bed and went to the nursery to go get John. He picked him up and took him downstairs. I couldn't fall asleep so I went after them but decided not to intrude when I saw what was going on.

Jude was down stairs as well, watching cartoons. He looked at his dad as Dean sat down next to him, rocking John back and forth.

"Daddy, you remember when I was born?" Jude asked.

"It's a little bit complicated, buddy. I wasn't able to be there because something had happened to me," Dean started.

"Demons?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," Dean nodded. "Your mom was so brave she had to do it all by herself."

"Woah," Jude said.

"Uh huh. But you see, I do remember meeting you for the first time when I was saved," Dean started.

"You do?" Jude asked, his eyes wide and a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I do," Dean replied.

**~Flashback~**

_"Dean," I started._

_"Yeah?" Dean asked back, detecting the urgency in my voice._

_"I want you to meet someone," I said, a smile beginning to creep on my face._

_"Wh-," Dean started. "Oh my God. The baby. You're not pregnant anymore and… is he, where is he?"_

_"Come with me," I said back. I took Dean's hand and led him up the stairs to the nursery. I opened the door quietly, careful not to wake Jude up and Dean and I stood over his crib. As soon as Dean saw the baby he gasped._

_"Meredith," Dean began softly._

_"I want you to meet your son, Dean. This is Jude Robert Winchester," I introduced._

_"Oh my God," Dean trailed off._

_"Congratulations, Daddy," I said back._

_"Wow, he's beautiful," Dean whispered. He looked over at me and I looked over at him. Jude began to stir in his crib and his eyes began to open._

_"I guess he recognizes his daddy. Do you want to hold him?" I asked._

_"Yeah," Dean replied, his eyes filled with happiness._

_"He was born August eighth, he's about a month and ten days so far. Sam came to the delivery. He'd been going off and showing up for all the doctor's appointments, but, I knew he wouldn't miss the birth of his nephew. He stayed for a couple of days after Jude was born before taking off again. Jude doesn't go without family though. He has me and everyone at the Falcon. And now he'll have you, Dean," I said._

_"He has your eyes," Dean said._

_I giggled, "I think he looks just like you. He's a lot like you in other regards as well. He's stubborn, just like his father. Oh, and sometimes he'll only fall asleep if I play him some Led Zeppelin."_

_"That may have something to do with the fact that every time you fell asleep I'd turn off that classical crap and put Zep on," Dean chuckled._

_I laughed, "Dean!"_

_"What? My baby has to have good taste in music when he grows up. Isn't that right?" he asked, looking at Jude. Jude reached up to touch his father's face and Dean was grinning._

_"He's perfect, Meredith," Dean said, looking up at me._

_I nodded, "Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Dean and I exchanged glances and Dean kissed me softly._

_"He's ours… we... that's our baby? After all this time. Wow," Dean was still amazed._

_"He's pretty awesome," I replied. "I can't wait for you to get to know each other."_

_"Yeah," Dean said, looking down at the baby he was holding in his arms._

_**~End Flashback~**_


	18. Waffles and Winchesters

**Author's Note:** I hope you don't mind MORE flashbacks but I actually wanted this all to be ONE chapter. The first one started getting really long so I just split them up into two parts. Happy reading!

* * *

><p>I awoke to the sounds of crying and stirred in bed. My eyes opened and I glanced over at the alarm clock. It was only 7:30 and I had gotten about 2 hours of sleep since John woke up last. I groaned and tried to get myself up.<p>

"It's okay, Mer. I'll go this time. You went last time," Dean mumbled.

"You sure? I'm already up," I answered.

"I'm sure," he replied, turning over to face me.

"It was about five the last time he was up. You should sleep," Dean replied, kissing my forehead gently before getting out of bed. I smiled as I watched my amazing husband go. Once he was gone, I lay back in bed and closed my eyes. It wasn't really hard to fall back asleep. I was out pretty quickly.

I woke up around nine thirty and looked over to see Dean back asleep. I had a feel that I wasn't going to be able to fall back asleep again so I got out of bed and went into the bathroom and took a shower. Once I was done with my shower, I quickly changed into a v-neck floral print dress and went upstairs, into John's nursery to see what he was up to. I peeked over the edge of the crib and his eyes were wide open as he squirmed around a little. I picked him up and held him in my arms, sitting down in the rocking chair in his room.

"Hey, buddy. You're just eager to get out of that crib and see the world, huh?" I asked, smiling down at John. He just looked up at me with his green eyes like Dean's. I held his little hand and felt his fingers wrap around one of mine. "You know your mama, huh? I hope you were good for Daddy. He looks exhausted. You are a lot of work, Mr.!" I giggled a little.

He was perfect, just like Jude was and still is. I still couldn't believe that Dean and I now had two sons. It was crazy! And the fact that we were doing the whole family thing and Dean was still hunting. Now that I wasn't pregnant any more, technically, I could join him, but it would be hard to be away from John now. I remembered the first time that Dean and I had been away from Jude since the first time he was born. The two of us were neurotic…

**~Flashback~**

_"Oh my God, that would explain it! Dracula tonight, he called me Mina and Dean Mr. Harker. You know, like the characters in the movies and novels," I chimed in._

_"Wait, he called you guys Mina and Jonathan Harker?" Sam asked._

_"Mhm," I nodded, laughing a little._

_Dean still looked a little confused and coughed, "Nerds!"_

_Sam and I just exchanged glances and laughed._

_"Well, I guess he's fixating on you to be his bride," Sam chuckled._

_"What?" Dean exclaimed._

_"But to fixate on you, he's had to be around you. Anyone you see in the bar a lot?" Sam asked._

_"Well, there's that creepy Ed Brewer guy that you said was the witness. He's been coming in a lot and uh, kind of asked me out," I started. Dean tensed up a little. "I said no, of course!"_

_"Babe, why didn't you tell me?" Dean asked._

_"It didn't seem important," I shrugged._

_"Alright, well, I'll go check out this Ed Brewer guy. I'll be back," Sam said._

_"Okay," Dean and I both agreed. Now it was just us. I couldn't help but think back to what we had done in the car. Dean had been waiting patiently for two weeks now… I mean, not that that was actually a long time but for Dean, it was. Not that we were going to have sex on the job, but I had to admit, I had missed it a lot as well. And with Dean back, he was such a good father which was kind of a turn on for me._

_"Do you want to call Jude?" I asked._

_"Sure," Dean replied. I pulled out my cell phone and found Andrea in my phone book before hitting the send button. I put it on speaker phone. The phone rang until finally she picked up._

_"Hey Andrea, we're just calling to see what you guys were up to. How is he?" I asked._

_"Great, just like he was about thirty minutes ago. You guys crack me up – calling every minute you can," Andrea chuckled._

_"How is everything?" Dean asked._

_"Fine. Jude's been sitting with me in the café all day. We went for a walk as well, but now he's asleep. Don't worry, I even put on some Led Zeppelin – low volume though – but he was right out," Andrea reassured._

_"Thank you so much, Andrea, for taking him. It's a shapeshifter and we're closing in on him so we should be back soon," I said._

_"Alright, well you two try to have a little fun. I got an impression that neither of you were since you called about ten times and Dean called about twelve," Andrea said back._

_Dean and I exchanged glances, "I can't believe you called more than me," I teased._

_"He's my son!" Dean defended._

_I laughed, "Okay, well, now that he's asleep, I guess we can stop worrying?"_

_"Yes, stop worrying. I'll call tomorrow, I promise," Andrea reassured._

_"Alright. You'll say hi to him for us?" Dean asked._

_"Of course," Andrea said. "I'll talk to you guys later."_

_"Bye," I said._

_"Bye," Dean added._

_"Goodbye," Andrea chuckled, before hanging up. She was getting a kick out of our frequent calling but it was the first time we had been away from Jude._

_"You called more than me!" I teased._

_"Alright, you know what, just because I'm curious about my son… you know I call all the time when it's just you and Jude!" Dean exclaimed._

_I giggled, "You're such a great father, Dean." I shook my head and smiled at him._

_"Thanks. Jude is lucky to have you as a mom. I'm glad that when it's just me on these hunts that I know you'll keep him safe," Dean replied._

**~End Flashback~**

"Mama?" I heard a voice ask. I looked up from John and saw Jude standing in the doorway in his footie pajamas. I smiled as soon as I saw him.

"Hi, sweetie. What're you doing up so early?" I asked back.

"I wanted to come check on my brother," Jude replied, walking into the room and standing right in front of me and John. Jude looked over at John and smiled. "He cried a lot, Mama. Is he okay?"

I nodded, "Yeah, Jude. Babies cry a lot when they're first born. They can't talk yet, like you, so they have to communicate with what they already know what to do."

"So I did that too?" Jude asked.

"Uh huh," I replied.

"No, I didn't! I don't cry," Jude said back, coyly, just like his father would.

I laughed, "Believe it or not, buddy, you did. All babies do and once upon a time, you were a baby."

"Do you remember when I was a baby?" Jude asked.

"What's with all these questions, Mr.?" I asked, playfully.

"Just want to know," Jude shrugged innocently.

I smiled, "Yes, I do. You would only fall asleep when I put Led Zeppelin on."

"Like Daddy!" Jude exclaimed.

"Yes, just like Daddy," I chuckled.

"Mama, Daddy told me that I'm John's big brother," Jude started.

"You are," I said back.

"Is Daddy Uncle Sammy's big brother?" Jude asked again.

I nodded, "Yes he is. They are very close brothers too. They're each others' best friends and hopefully you and Jude will be best friends like that too."

"Can we?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," I replied, nodding.

"Daddy says I have to protect my brother. Does Daddy protect Uncle Sammy?" Jude asked.

"More than you know," I answered.

**~Flashback~**

_"__So I guess a congratulations is in order. This is what you've been preparing for… your whole life," I said._

_He nodded, "Thanks, I guess." He seemed so somber about things. Shouldn't he be celebrating? I mean, sure, we had all been in for it, emotionally, but he had to at least but somewhat happy. But it seemed like all Dean wanted to do was sleep or sulk or brood or whatever he did._

_"So… and we don't have to talk about it now but are you ever going to tell me how you got Sam back? I just, I feel like I'm the last to know," I asked, hesitantly. I had a feeling what had happened and I needed to know the truth._

_"Do we have to do this now?" Dean asked._

_"I just said we didn't have to," I snapped._

_Dean sighed. He knew it was time to tell me, "I'm dying, Meredith."_

_"What?" I asked. Suspecting it was one thing but hearing it was a whole other thing. I had lost so much tonight and now… I was expected to lose the one man I had ever truly loved._

_"I made a deal with a demon. I have a year," Dean said calmly. Wow, he was getting good at this. That must be because I was the last to know._

_"No, no, it's not, you're not going to die. You're lying!" I exclaimed, tears in my eyes._

_"I'm not lying. Look, I wish it wasn't true but it was my job," Dean replied._

_"What? So you can go out and kill more demons and then just… to what? To die?" I exclaimed, angrily. I was angry, sad, hurt, and so many more emotions._

_"No! To protect Sammy. To save him. I can't live with him dead!" Dean defended._

_"So that means you have to die instead? Dean, how could you be so stupid?" I demanded._

_"I wasn't being stupid I-," Dean started._

_"You what? You were sacrificing yourself for your family? You were being a loyal family member? A good brother? You're just following in your father's footsteps. Do you remember the way you felt when you found out your dad made a deal?" I asked. I was going to lose my mind._

_"Of course I do! And stop mocking me!" he snapped._

_"I'm not-, alright fine, I am but, Jesus, Dean. God, damn it. Fuck…" I whimpered. "You were so broken and twisted when you found out and now you expect Sam and I to live like that?"_

_"Well that wasn't-," Dean started._

_"You weren't thinking, Dean! How can you be so selfish and self-centered?" I yelled._

_"You think I did this for me?" he yelled back._

_"Yeah, I do!" I exclaimed._

**~End Flashback~**

"But how about we continue these questions in the kitchen because I don't know about you, but I am hungry for some breakfast. How about waffles?" I proposed.

"Yeah!" Jude cheered, his eyes lighting up. "Oh, and Mama?"

"Yeah, sweetie?" I asked back.

"I like John. He's awesome," Jude smiled.

"I'm glad you feel that way, buddy," I said back. I stood up and the three of us went to the stairs. I supervised Jude as he walked down the stairs, carefully. It felt like just yesterday that Jude was in my arms and was barely a couple of weeks old, just like John was now.

I carefully put John down in the little floor crib that we had in the kitchen. I was afraid that he'd start crying again but luckily, he didn't. I took a deep breath before returning to the kitchen.

"Mama, can I help?" Jude asked.

"Sure. How about you measure the flour out? Just make sure the cup is all full before you dump the flour into the bowl," I said, putting the bag of flour and measuring cup at Jude's smaller table closer to the floor. There were even small chairs that went with it.

"Okay," he said. I brought milk, and measured out the water in another measuring cup, along with 2 eggs, and some vanilla.

"Alright, woah, look at you cooking!" I exclaimed. "Alright, you can pour this into the flour and I'll pour the milk in, okay?"

"Okay, Mama. Look, I did it," he smiled proudly.

"You did. So I'm going to crack these eggs and then can you whisk it all together?" I asked, handing him the whisk.

"Uh huh," Jude replied, beginning to mix all the ingredients together. I went over the sink quickly and washed my hands from the raw eggs, not taking my eyes off of my two boys. I dried my hands off and then returned to the kid table. "It's good, Mommy?" Jude asked.

"Almost. Here, do you mind if I do some whisking too?" I asked.

"Here you go," Jude replied, giving me the bowl and whisk. I whisked the rest of the waffle mix, blending it more and getting all of the lumps out.

"Okay, I'm going to have to use the waffle iron now and it's really, really hot so you have to be careful. You can help me but you're going to have to use a stool because I have to put it on the big counter," I informed.

"I can help?" Jude asked.

I nodded, "Yeah."

"Okay," I said. I heard the water running and knew that Dean was probably taking a shower. Jude and I poured the waffle batter in waffle maker and waited for them to be done.

"Hey, look at that! You just made waffles," I announced, excitedly.

"I did, Mama," Jude smiled. I put the waffles on a plate and handed them too Jude after he stepped off of the stool.

"Why don't you take that back to the table and eat with your brother. Do you want butter or some syrup or jelly?" I offered.

"Mama, no one eats jelly with their waffles," Jude said, making a face.

"Did your father teach you that?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest playfully.

"Yeah," Jude nodded quickly.

"Well that's because your Daddy likes to make fun of me for eating jelly on my waffles only one time!" I replied.

Jude laughed, "Funny, Mama! Can I have syrup?"

"Mhm. I'll bring it over to you. How about some milk with your breakfast?" I asked.

"Yes, please," Jude said back. He took his waffles and made his way over to the table, sitting at it in his chair. I scrambled up some eggs and then made some bacon so that there was protein at this breakfast. I finished up the waffles and put all of it on different plates, about to bring it to the table.

"Something smells good," I heard a voice say. I turned around to see Dean standing in the doorway, watching the three of us.

"Morning to you too," I said, seeing Dean. I opened up the waffle maker and used a spatula to put them on the plate with all the other waffles.

"Yeah, Mama is making waffles!" Jude said.

"That's not what I was talking about," Dean whispered in my ear, kissing my neck and snaking his arms around my waist. I smiled and turned around, wrapping my arms around his waist, kissing him back. It was a pretty sexy kiss. I had missed those.

"Ew, kissing!" Jude exclaimed, covering his eyes with his right hand. Dean and I pulled away, laughing a little. Just then, John started crying again.

"Oh, no," I said, rushing over to his crib. I picked him up in my arms and rocked him gently, making "shushing" noises. "There is no need to fuss, baby. Shhh, it's okay." After about a minute, he stopped crying. I think he just wanted to be held. I held John in one of my arms while bringing the plate of eggs over to the kitchen table.

"I'll take him," Dean offered. I handed John to Dean and Dean bounced up and down a little, John over his shoulder.

"Are you giving your Mom a hard time, buddy? I think you just wanted to be held," Dean said, patting John gently on the back.

I nodded, "I think so." I put the last plate down for breakfast on the table. Just then, the door bell rang.

"Can I get it?" Jude asked, hopping out of his chair.

"Why don't we both go?" I asked back. Jude came with me to the front door while Dean stayed in the kitchen with John. I opened the door to reveal Sam and Sawyer on the front porch. "Hey guys. We just started breakfast." Dean and I had invited them over yesterday.

"Great," Sam said. "How are you?"

"Good. We're tried, but good," I said.

"Hey, kiddo. How're you liking the new brother?" Sam asked, coming into the house, Sawyer following.

"He's really cool. I want us to be just like you and Daddy," Jude said.

"Oh yeah?" Sam asked, taking Jude into the kitchen. I smiled seeing them together.

"Hey, looks like you guys have a full house this morning," Sawyer said, looking around the house and smiling.

"Yeah, we do, but it's nice. How are you?" I asked.

"I'm great. Sam is… great," Sawyer smiled, blushing a little.

I laughed, "Yeah, it's about damn time that happened! I remember when you first told me that you kind of, sort of had a crush on him and by that, you totally had a crush on him."

"Was it that obvious?" Sawyer groaned.

"Yes! For the both of you, actually. Need I remind you of the tickle fight that I walked into?" I reminded.

"Oh God. I had such a big crush on him back then," Sawyer sighed.

"I know. But look at you two now," I said back.

"You know, we're going on our first date tonight," Sawyer said.

"Really?" I asked, smiling.

"Mhm. He won't tell me where so it's somewhat of a surprise. I'm excited though and I guess I have to thank you for having a baby because those two haven't gone back on the road ever since John was born," Sawyer replied.

"Yeah, I know but it'll happen sooner or later. Don't worry, it's not that hard and uh… coming home is very sexy," I smirked.

"Right… well… we haven't really…" Sawyer started.

"Wait, you haven't? But you guys spend Christmas night together!" I exclaimed, confused.

"Well, yeah. We slept… and talked… and slept more but no sex. I kind of want to take this one slow. I really like Sam," Sawyer admitted.

I smiled, "Aw, Sawyer. Yes, slow is definitely good."

"I just want to screw things up by, you know, it being too early," Sawyer said.

I nodded, "Yeah, I get that. Why don't you come in though? We just started breakfast and John is in desperate need of people to hold him."

"Sounds good," Sawyer chuckled, following me into the kitchen.

"Alright, let me see that baby," Sam said, finally. Dean handed John to Sam and Sam grinned at the tiny baby. It was actually a kind of funny sight to see: Sam was huge while John was this little, tiny baby.

"I made that," Dean bragged, proudly.

I giggled, "Um, don't leave me out of this equation. I carried him for nine months. We made him."

"Yeah, we did," Dean smirked.

"Dean," I groaned, hitting him playfully.

"Well, I haven't missed this a bit. Does this remind you of anything, Sawyer?" Sam asked, teasingly.

"Oh my God, middle school," Sawyer groaned. "You two would not quit it, in high school."

"Okay it was more mushy talk, in my defense," I chimed in.

"Do I need to remind you guys of the washing machine incident?" Sawyer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What washing machine incident?" Jude asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing, sweetie. Do you want another waffle?" I asked, changing the subject quickly and glaring at Sawyer. She just exchanged glances with Sam and the two of them burst into laughter. "Okay, everyone can sit down and help yourself to breakfast. I didn't cook for nothing!"

"Babe, come sit down. You've been cooking all morning," Dean said.

"One second," I said. I finished cleaning up a little before sitting down to breakfast with my family. This felt good. It was nice not having to worry about Dean and Sam while they were away on a hunt. I had forgotten how much I had missed him being home for long periods of time.

"Alright, buddy, you gonna be good?" Dean asked, gently setting John down in the crib. He paused as he heard no crying and then backed away slowly. "Nice, buddy!" He sat down at the table right next to me. Under the table, I felt him grab my hand and squeeze it tightly before letting me go and tending to his breakfast.

"So what've you two been up to?" I asked, trying to start conversation.

"Not much, really. We're going out tonight," Sam started, waiting for Dean to make some kind of remark. He wasn't let down at all.

"Oh, first date, huh, Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sawyer replied.

"How's the company? What's the new thing you're working on?" I asked, changing the subject quickly before Dean could make things awkward. Sawyer mouthed a "thank you" at me when Dean wasn't looking. I laughed a little.

Sawyer continued to talk about the new book they were editing and then Jude talked some. It was a great breakfast because I had my family with me. 

* * *

><p>"Can we talk?" I heard a voice ask.<p>

I whipped around to see Cas. I held John in my arms. It was getting late and I was attempting to put him to bed.

"Hey, Mer what-, Cas! What're you doing here?" Dean asked, coming into the nursery.

"Good. You're both here. We need to talk," Cas said.

"Okay," I said, nervously. Dean rushed to my side and slid his arm protectively around me.

"Word has gotten out that John was born. I cloaked your house and one over both boys too," Cas informed.

"Thank you," I sighed, with relief.

"It should last until they turn eighteen but by then they'll be able to defend themselves," Cas replied.

I nodded nervously, "So… just in case, if something were to happen to you… would it still last? It's just our line of work… you never what happens."

"Yes. Remember, heaven is still on your side as well," Cas said.

"No offense Cas, but that still doesn't really help. Trusting heaven hasn't exactly helped in the past," Dean said.

"You don't need to worry yet," Cas said.

"Cas, um, do you want to hold him?" I asked.

"Me?" Cas asked.

"Uh huh," I answered.

"I guess, I could," Cas said, hesitantly.

"Here, like this," I said, instructing Cas on how to hold the baby. Cas seemed a little nervous at first but smiled once John was in his arms. John looked up at Cas with wide eyes but he didn't start crying, which was a good sign.

"He's so little," Cas smiled, looking up at us and then down at John again.

"Yeah," I said back.

"Wow," Cas marveled. It was one of those moments where Cas' stoicism broke and he showed that ounce of humanity.


	19. It Gets Easier

"Whatever your Uncle Sammy tells you, he's wrong. Licorice is truly made of bites of chewy heaven, okay, son?" Dean asked, making sure that he was getting through to his son.

"Got it, Dad!" Jude nodded once.

"Cool. Here you go," Dean said, handing his son a Twizzler. I laughed as he tried to introduce his son to his favorite movie snack. "Now, licorice is right up there with popcorn as a classic, quintessential movie food." Jude just nodded and I started the moving reaching for some popcorn. John had fallen asleep in my arms and Dean and Jude were on the other end of the couch, having bonding time.

"Daddy, what's the Sandlot about?" Jude asked.

"You'll see, kiddo. It's a pretty cool movie. It's about baseball," Dean replied.

"It was one of my favorite movies," I added in.

"Your mommy has pretty good taste," Dean said.

"And coming from your dad, that's a big deal. Although he can't really be a judge because he watches Dr. Sexy M.D," I teased.

"It's a guilty pleasure!" Dean defended himself.

"Mama, what's Dr. Sexy?" Jude asked.

"Don't worry about it, son. It's only the greatest show in the world. You can maybe watch it when you get older," Dean replied. I just laughed. The credits were over and the actual movie was beginning to start. Ah, this made me nostalgic for the nineties.

Once the movie was over, Dean and I put Jude and John to sleep. John would probably be up sooner or later but as of now, he was asleep. He continuously woke up during the movie and I took care of him. Dean didn't get to be home for movie night some of the times so I knew that it was important for him to participate in the ritual for all of us.

Dean and I got ready for bed and I slid underneath the covers. He and I lay on our sides, facing each other.

"Hi," I smiled.

"Hi," he said back. "Mer, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"This has been really great… being home with you and the boys and everything but I have to go back tomorrow. Sammy's go a case and we knew it would have to happen at some point," Dean started, lying down on his back while I remained propped up on my elbow, looking over at him.

I sighed, "I know. But we can work it out. We have in the past. I'll return to teaching after maternity leave and then you can hunt and uh… I guess work at the garage when you are home. That is, if you still want to."

"I do. I will. I just feel bad that I'm leaving you guys," Dean sighed.

"I know you do but Sammy needs you and I think you know that you need to be out there too," I replied.

"Yeah," Dean said, thinking it over a little. "How's this for sexy bedroom talk, huh?"

I giggled, "Well, we do have to talk about it at some point."

"There's actually something else I've been meaning to talk to you about and, please don't kill me, Meredith, but I think it's about time you get a protector's tattoo. Now, I know you hate needles but I'm afraid that something might happen when I'm gone," Dean said. I groaned. He was right but I really did hate needles. "It's just, we really can't afford to be too cautious in these kinds of situations."

"I know… but you'll come with me when I get it, right?" I asked, anxiously

"Of course, babe," Dean reassured. I smiled as soon as I looked into his eyes. God, his eyes were gorgeous. My eyes searched his face. How did I get this lucky with such a handsome husband?

"Have I ever told you how much I love these freckles?" I asked.

"What freckles?" Dean asked, chuckling a little.

"The ones on your nose… and your shoulders. Ugh, they're perfect. And God, you're hands are great," I smirked, sitting up and taking one of Dean's hands in mine, running my fingers over his hand before finally intertwining my fingers with his.

"What is this? Some special goodbye, send off? Not that I'm complaining," Dean smirked.

"Yeah. You're about to go out on the road again and uh… it's been six weeks," I reminded, kissing Dean slowly and seductively.

"Already?" Dean exclaimed, smirking into the kiss and pulling me on top of him.

"Uh huh," I answered, leaning down to kiss him again.

"I totally lost track! I guess sleep deprivation does that to you," he said.

"Yeah. I guess this is just my way of saying good luck and uh… reminding you of what you have to come home to. Besides, you were the one that just said we needed a little bit more sexy bedroom talk in our lives," I said back, running my fingers through his hair and smiling down at him.

"Well, I can't really argue with any of that," Dean smirked, before flipping me over so that he was on top and kissing me hungrily. He broke the kiss so that he could pull off his t-shirt and then the both of us worked to undo the button down that I was wearing. I rolled us over so that I was on top again and then began to kiss down Dean's neck.

"I am so lucky," Dean moaned, as I left kisses across his collar bone. His breathing became heavier and then he moaned. I smiled and then tore of the button down, throwing it on the floor.

"Yeah, you are," I replied, before connecting my lips with his again. Dean's practically ripped my underwear off and I pushed Dean's boxers down quickly. We were in for a long night…

* * *

><p>"Sawyer, you really don't know how grateful I am for you," Dean said.<p>

"Oh, it's no problem at all," Sawyer said back, simply.

"No, really. It's a huge thing. I'm so happy that you're staying with Meredith and the boys. It makes me worry a little bit less about her being here all alone," Dean said.

Sawyer smiled, "Really, Dean. It's not a problem. Besides, I'd probably be alone in that apartment of mine. I've gotten so used to Sam staying with me. It's like… Post-Sam blues."

"Right," Dean coughed, trying to ignore the almost chick-flick moment.

"Woah, and we're the mushy couple? I've never said anything about Post-Dean blues… ever," I said, coming into the room with Sam.

"But you do miss me, baby," Dean asked, attempting to affirm the statement.

"Of course, I do," I replied. I kissed him once because I knew that they needed to go. I knew it would also be obnoxious to just make out in front of Sawyer and Sam. Awkward…

"Alright, we should probably get going," Sam started.

"Yeah," Dean agreed, reluctantly.

"Okay, I'll see you when you get back," I said. This was becoming routine and I was trying not to make it a big emotional scene. I knew it would only make it harder on Dean.

"Yeah, you too. I love you, Meredith," Dean said.

"I love you too," I said back. He kissed me gently and passionately before pulling away.

"Daddy!" Jude called out.

"Hey, little man," Dean smiled, picking up his son in his arms.

"Daddy, be careful and come back and take care of Uncle Sammy because he's your brother and call us and call Mommy and kick monster butts and I love you," Jude listed.

Dean chuckled, "I will. I'll call every night. How about that?" I went and got John out of his kitchen play crib and brought him back to the living room so that Dean could say goodbye. I could tell that he would want to, especially because Jude always loved to say goodbye to his dad.

"Yeah," Jude smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"Alright, well, I've got to go now, but take care of your mom, your Aunt Sawyer, and your new little brother okay?" Dean asked.

"I will, Daddy," Jude replied, obediently.

"When I'm gone, you're the man of the house," Jude replied.

"I am?" Jude asked.

"Of course, dude!" Jude replied. Dean put his son down.

"And son?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, Daddy?" Jude asked back.

"I love you too," Dean said. Jude smiled at his dad's reaction.

"Bye, buddy. Be good for your Mama, okay?" Dean asked, seeing John. He held him in his arms and then gave him back to me.

"Hey, you be careful out there, okay?" Sawyer asked Sam.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, chuckling a little.

"I'll see you when you get back. And don't be stranger," Sawyer smiled back. Sam kissed her lightly and the two hugged. Sam and Sawyer were really sweet together. They were always looking out for each other and they were kind to each other. Fundamentally, they were very similar and it was just sweet to watch how much they already cared about each other. Sawyer rubbed his back a little before letting Sam go.

"And after you come back, I thought maybe we could paint my apartment together," Sawyer said.

"That sounds like a great plan seeing as I can stand your walls," Sam teased.

"Hey! The apartment came that way," Sawyer reminded.

"Alright, whatever you say," Sam said.

She giggled, "Goodbye, Sam."

"Bye," Sam replied.

Dean and I exchanged glances, watching Sam and Sawyer's interactions. Our younger siblings were happy… together. It was great. Dean and Sam finally left and now it was just me, Sawyer, John, and Jude.

"So what do you usually do after this point so that you don't go crazy?" Sawyer asked.

"You keep going about your day," I replied.

Later that night, Sawyer was in the John's room, cradling him in her arms and talking to him. She smiled a happy, goofy smile as she talked to him.

"You are so precious, you know that? Are you my baby? Are you mine? Yes, you are. You are all mine," Sawyer said, playing with John. I coughed and then walked into the room, amused at what I had just heard.

"Are you mine? No, you're not mine!" Sawyer exclaimed, handing Jude over to me. I laughed and took him in my arms.

"What is crazy Aunty Sawyer saying to you? Is she trying to snatch you up? I bet she is!" I giggled, cradling John in my arms and letting him rest against me.

"Ah, you can have him, you selfish baby haver! God, I want kids," Sawyer teased, sighing and then groaning.

"What happened to taking it slow?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't mean now! Well, I do… but Sam and I have just started something. We are not even in the place for kids right now. But eventually… I hope that maybe he'd think that we were," Sawyer explained.

I smiled, sitting in the rocking chair with John in my arms, "I see."

"A girl can fantasize, right?" Sawyer asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"Hey, Mer? Does it get any easier from here?" Sawyer asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"The waiting around like an army wife. I never knew what you had to go through but I can't stop wondering whether or not he's alright, if he got hurt, if he's thinking about me, what they're hunting. There are a billion questions running through my mind right now and all I kind of want to do is call him and make sure he's okay," Sawyer answered.

I nodded, "I hate to tell you this, but you never really stop worrying although it does get easier to cope with all of it. Sooner or later you realize that Sam and Dean are both incredible hunters and they really can take care of themselves. After he comes home to you time after time, you start to get into a routine and uh… it's not as bothersome anymore."

"I hope so," Sawyer said.

"Me too," I said, shooting her a sympathetic smile.

"So speaking of incredible hunters, I hear you can kick some serious butt," Sawyer brought up.

I chuckled, "Uh… and who told you that?"

"Dean and Sam. You know, Dad never really taught me anything past the basics. I know how to defend myself and how to shoot a rifle but I never went out on hunts like you did," Sawyer started.

"Well, I guess Dad figured that he had already dragged one of his daughters into the life, he didn't want to drag you into it either," I replied, shrugging a little. John reached up his hands to touch my face and I giggled. "What're you doing, buddy?"

"I guess so," Sawyer sighed.

"Look, be grateful that he brought you up that way. I was lucky enough to be at Bobby's and had somewhat of a normal life, you know? Dad took me to shooting ranges while he took you shopping. We were really different… and it wasn't necessarily a bad thing," I replied.

"I guess the saying that it's always easier for the second child must be true, huh?" Sawyer asked.

"I guess so," I answered. "Hey, Sawyer?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks, for staying with me while Dean and Sam are gone. I was really afraid of being alone with two of them now. Just… what if something had happened and it had just been me?" I asked.

She smiled at me, "It's not problem at all. You know, Dean was so worried about leaving you…. He loves you so much, Meredith. You're lucky."

"Thanks. And just so you know, Sam is a great guy. I know it's been harder for him to open up lately and he's changed a lot since he you guys last saw each other, but has such a good heart," I said.

"He does… I wish there was something I could do to help sometimes though," Sawyer brought up.

I nodded, "I know, and it's going to feel that way for a while but then you'll start to realize that giving him a stable home to come home to and just letting him love you is enough to balance out all the crazy out there."

"Why are you so good at this?" Sawyer asked.

"Eh… I had to learn it the hard way," I answered with a small laugh. "But it was all worth it. I have to beautiful sons."

"Mama?" I heard a voice ask. Sawyer and I both looked up to see Jude standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, sweetie?" I asked.

"Daddy's on the phone," Jude replied, coming into the room and handing me my cell phone.

"Oh, great! How about you go get ready for bed and I'll read you a story before you go to sleep," I suggested.

"Okay. But you have to read Where the Wild Things Are with the scary voices, just like Daddy," Jude said.

I laughed, "I'll try my best."

* * *

><p>I opened the door and walked into the house and gasped as soon as I saw Dean standing in the living room.<p>

"Surprise," he said.

I grinned widely, running over to him and hugging him tightly. His arms went to waist, wrapping around it and pulling me tighter to him.

"I missed you," I said, pulling away.

"I missed you too," Dean replied.

I smiled and then leaned in, crashing our lips together in a passionate kiss. It was our way of saying hello.

"Sam just showed up at Sawyer's apartment. It's a good thing she ran home to get something," Dean replied.

"Yeah. Wait, how do you know about that?" I asked.

"Text from Sam," Dean replied.

"Ah, gotcha. How was the hunt?" I asked.

"Good. How are the boys?" Dean asked back, more interested in our sons than talking about the hunt that he had just gone on.

"They're great. Both of them really missed you but we got through it. Jude even made me read where the Wild Things Are with the scary voices just like you except for I can't get it like you so he had me start over all the time," I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully.

"See, you need me for something around this house," Dean teased.

"I need you for a lot more than that," I smirked.

"Oh yeah," Dean asked, pulling me close to him. I winced and then pulled away a little. "Babe, after your little send off… how do you not expect me to come home not wanting some?"

I giggled at rolled my eyes playfully, "It's not that. It's just uh…" I never finished my sentence. Instead, I pulled my the hemline of my shirt just a little and then pulled down the waistband to my sweatpants, showing Dean the small protector's tattoo that I had gotten right next to my right hipbone. The redness was finally going down and it was hurting a little less now. I was still kind of sore.

"Mer, I would've gone with you," Dean started.

"Ah, well, I thought it was time that I get over my fear," I replied.

Dean smirked, "Well have I told you yet that it's totally hot?"

"Uh uh," I said back.

"Well it is. God, I love you, Mrs. Winchester. What did I do to deserve you?" Dean asked,

"I don't know, I guess you just got lucky," I joked.

"No, we get lucky in getting two amazing boys," Dean reminded.

I smiled, "You're such an amazing father, you know that?"

"Mer, I'm really not-," he started but I just glared at him. "I just nod, smile, and say thank you."

"Good," I replied, before closing the gap between us and kissing him. I was so glad that Dean was home. I had missed him. I knew that having him home for such a long period of time was going to make it harder to say goodbye each time, but I knew that we could do this. In April, I'd return to my teaching job. We'd saved up enough for me to go on maternity leave and that would be good enough till I could get back to my job.


	20. Slide

**Author's Note:**Hi, all! Sorry updates have been slow! School is hectic! Did anyone watch this week's (tonight's) episode of Supernatural? It was good but I guess that's because I have a thing for anything time period based. Next week's episode looks CRAZY! Someone message me and we can talk about it! Ah, I don't know if I can wait this long

But aside from that, at least the beginning of this chapter will have a couple of shifts in point of view. This takes place the day after the previous chapter. Happy reading!

* * *

><p>"<em>I want to wake up where you. I won't say anything at all. So why don't you slide?"<em>

**Molly and Ethan**

Ethan rolled over and ran his hand over Molly's leg as he woke up. He opened his eyes, still sleepily as looked at his very focused wife, sitting in their bed. Molly had her glasses on and was sitting up in bed, sketching feverishly.

"Morning," Ethan murmured, happily.

"Morning," Molly replied, distracted.

"Babe, take a break from work. You've been working so much lately! And coming from a surgeon, that's really saying something," Ethan groaned, propping himself up onto his elbows.

"I can't, Ethan. The sketches for the spring line are due soon and I really want to finish early so that I can finally take a break. I'm sorry. I know I've been working so much but once I'm done, I'll be done for quite some time. Then you and I can finally focus on each other and uh… you know… the news," Molly replied.

"I still feel horrible for not telling, Mer. Every time I see her, I can just feel her punching me in the arm for not telling her sooner!" Ethan said.

"I know, I know. Me too, but we decided that when things died down with all of us we would say something. I mean, Mer just had a baby and she and Dean are going through some stuff with hunting and everything… I mean, she misses him a lot and he wants to be home but is away all the time and you and I have been working so much-," Molly started.

"Babe, it's fine. I have Wednesday off and at this rate, I'm sure you'll be done by Tuesday. Why don't we have ourselves a little snow day?" Ethan proposed.

"A snow day? Ethan, it's February. There's really not much snow in February and it's not even like you can control that!" Molly said.

"Yeah, but you know when we were kids and it snowed badly enough that we'd be exempt from school? Well, Meredith and I would also have snowball fights and build igloos and pretend that the rest of the world wasn't out there anymore. Since we kind of missed our chance to have our own real snow days, why don't we make our own? I'm off work and hopefully you will be too and we can just, uh, lock up, turn our phones off and pretend that the rest of the world doesn't exist," Ethan explained.

Molly smiled, "I like the sound of that a lot."

"I thought you would," Ethan winked.

"That sounds great. It's a plan then. Wednesday it is," she said.

"Wednesday it is," Ethan replied, happily. Molly reached over and grabbed Ethan's hand and smiled at him. She felt so lucky to be married to Ethan. He was a bit of a workaholic like her, and they were still trying to work that out. It was hard sometimes, but they were adjusting to married life and it was actually going pretty well.

**Sawyer and Sam**

"_And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete. Little pieces of the nothing that fall…"_

Sam rolled over and opened his eyes, the view of the ceiling coming into his vision. He looked over at the beautiful girl sleeping right next to him.

_How the hell did I get so lucky? I mean, after all this time, Sawyer still had feelings for me? She's just so kind – the way she's welcomed me back into her house no matter what condition I came home in after a hunt. Home. Huh, that's a funny word but I'm starting to think… I don't know,_ Sam thought to himself.

"Morning," Sawyer mumbled, rolling over to face him. She smiled at him and Sam smiled back.

"Good morning," he said back.

"How'd you sleep?" Sawyer asked.

"That's probably the best sleep I've gotten in a while," Sam replied.

"Yeah, well, I bet my apartment beats those motel rooms that you and Dean are always staying in… I hope…" Sawyer said, laughing a little.

"Mmm maybe just by a little. It's those walls that I can't stand. Are you finally going to let me paint them for you?" Sam asked.

"Okay, they're not that bad!" Sawyer exclaimed with a giggle.

"You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd start to think that you actually liked these gross green walls," Sam teased playfully.

"I do not! It's just… I've gotten used to them," Sawyer shrugged.

"You know you don't actually have to paint your walls for me," Sam said.

"I know," Sawyer nodded. "But I want to. When you're not on the road, you're here and uh… I don't know. It may be fun painting the apartment together, you know?"

"Yeah," Sam started. "When were you thinking?"

"Today, maybe? I don't have anything to do today," Sawyer answered.

"What about tonight?" Sam asked.

"What _about_tonight?" Sawyer asked back.

Sam shrugged simply, "I thought maybe we could go out on a date… after we painted your apartment or something."

Sawyer smiled, "Yeah, I'd like that a lot actually."

"Great," Sam said back.

"You know, this must be uh, what, our fourth date?" Sawyer asked, curiously.

"Now that I think of it… yeah," Sam answered.

"Okay. Well, I'm going to start on breakfast and then we could to run to the store afterwards or something," Sawyer proposed.

"Okay. Then we'll go out. Do you mind if I take a shower?" Sam asked.

"Sure, go ahead," Sawyer replied.

"Okay," Sam smiled, before getting out of bed and going into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. Sawyer took a deep breath as soon as Sam was out of earshot. She picked up her cell phone and went into the living room and called her sister. No answer. Next, she called Molly.

"Hello?" Molly asked.

"Hey, Molly, it's Sawyer. Sorry for calling so early. I tried to get a hold of Mer, but she must be sleeping or taking care of the baby or having sex with Dean or whatever the hell those two do in that house," Sawyer said.

Molly laughed, "It's totally fine. I've been up about an hour. What's up?" Molly asked back.

"Can we meet up at the Falcon around 2? I'm kind of stuck at the house until I'm done painting. I think we'll be done by then but I'll let you know," Sawyer answered, taking a deep breath.

"Sawyer, are you okay?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… uh… I'll tell you at the Falcon. Hopefully Meredith will be there too. See you then and thanks so much!" Sawyer said.

"Bye," Molly replied, before hanging up.

**Meredith and Dean – First person POV (Regular POV)**

"_Put your arms around me. What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful…"_

Dean and I both woke up to the sound of John crying again. It had been about an hour since we were up to get him last and we were exhausted. We put him back to sleep but knew it wasn't going to be for long. Jude wouldn't be up for another two hours so at least we'd get some sleep before both finally got up for the day.

"I remember the first night that Jude slept all the way through. Wow, I miss that night very much," Dean grumbled, crawling back into bed.

"Me too," I sighed, getting under the covers and looking over at Dean. I propped myself up on my side as did he.

"At least we're still having sex," Dean smirked.

I laughed, "Really? Really, Dean?"

"What? I thought we wouldn't do anything for like… ever," he said.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "You know, I had the strangest dream last night."

"Oh yeah? I had a pretty weird dream last night too," Dean replied. "But tell me about yours."

"Okay. Well, it was just you and me with no screaming, crying children, as much as I love John, and we didn't have to worry about demons or anything so we sailed away and became pirates," I replied.

Dean let out a hearty laugh that resonated deeply in his chest, "Hmm, I like pirates."

"I know you do," I replied.

He smiled, "I would miss John and Jude too."

"Me too. But then again, one day being a pirate wouldn't be so bad. Then we'd get to come back home to our family and tell them all about our adventures. You know Jude would be dying to hear all the stories," I giggled.

"Yeah, he would," Dean replied.

"Tell me about yours," I encouraged.

Dean nodded, "Well, mine was not as exciting as yours was. We were not pirates… but monsters weren't in our lives… at all. God, Mer, I keep worrying about our boys and their futures…" Dean trailed off.

"I can't say I haven't thought about it myself," I admitted.

"I mean, what're we supposed to do?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "I don't know, Dean. For now, we teach them how to defend themselves. We prepare them for what they might encounter. Look, we don't know if they really will turn into hunters the way that you and Sam did. They might not! But for now, we have to focus on what's happening now and try to give them as normal lives as they can have."

Dean nodded slowly, "You're right. Why do you always know what I need to hear?"

I shrugged, "Lots of practice."

He chuckled, "I love you, Mer."

"I love you too," I replied.

"So… now that we're alone and the kids are asleep…" Dean hinted.

"You just read my mind, Dean," I smiled.

The two of us curled up in bed together and closed our eyes. "I've missed sleep."

"Me too," he replied. And before we knew it, we were both out. That is, until the next hour when John would wake us up again, crying, and Jude would come in, ready for his day to begin. Oh the glamour of parenthood.

* * *

><p>I walked into the Falcon and Sawyer waved me over. Molly was already sitting at the table with her and the two were talking. I smiled before sitting down.<p>

"Hey, what's going on? You sounded urgent," I said.

"Yeah. I kind of need to talk to you guys about something," Sawyer confessed.

"Okay, what is it?" Molly asked.

"Sam and I are going on our fourth date tonight," Sawyer blurted out.

"What?" I exclaimed, leaning in.

"Oh my God, that means business," Molly added.

"Yes," I chuckled.

"Yeah so… I mean… usually that means… we would… sleep together," Sawyer said.

"Well, do you not want to?" Molly asked.

"No! I mean, not 'no, I don't want to sleep together' but no, I don't really know how to go about thigns… you know… I just… okay this is really awkward," Sawyer answered.

"Sawyer, you've slept with him before. Mer's wedding…" Molly said.

"I know but I'm… nervous. What if it just screws things up and makes things awkward?" Sawyer asked.

"Did it the first time?" I asked.

"No," Sawyer answered.

"Exactly. You two are in a loving relationship now. It's not just some no strings attached fling so of course you're nervous," I started.

"And that boy adores you, Sawyer," Molly said.

"We can all see it. Look, I was extremely nervous the first time Dean and I slept together after we go back together even though we had done it plenty of times before. It's perfectly okay. You and Sam have been taking it slow and this is a big step," I reasoned.

"And if it makes you feel better, at least you and Sam have successfully taken it slow. Meredith and Dean's "taking it slow" phase barely lasted, "Molly said.

"Hey!" I protested, playfully. "But really, it's going to be fine and great and you have nothing to worry about."

"You don't," Molly reassured.

Sawyer took a deep breath, "You're right. I think I just needed to hear you guys say that so that I would stop worrying."

"Understandable," I replied.

"Is that paint in your hair?" Molly asked.

"Hah, oh yeah. Sam and I have been painting my apartment all day," Sawyer blushed.

"Aw, see! You have nothing to worry about. And I bet you guys were adorable too," I replied.

Sawyer nodded, " I guess we kind of were adorable."

I laughed, "Well, at least you guys are getting sleep. I don't think I've gotten more than six hours of sleep for the past month. I don't even think I've gotten more than two hours of consecutive sleep in a very long time."

"The glamorous life of parenthood," Sawyer added.

"Speaking of… parenthood," Molly started.

"What?" I asked, leaning. Was she saying what I thought she was saying?

"Ethan and I have been waiting but… I'm kind of pregnant. And by kind of pregnant I mean really pregnant. I'm about a month along," Molly confessed.

"Oh my God!" I exclaimed. "Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"Molly, congratulations. That's so amazing!" Sawyer exclaimed.

"I'm sorry! We've been so busy that we've been waiting to tell people but I am now and… yeah. Well, first we thought we wouldn't be ready for it because both of us work so much but we just got so excited and… we're really going to do this," Molly exclaimed.

"Congrats, Molly. Oh my God! If the baby is born in August, then John will have a friend to enter school with!" I exclaimed.

Molly laughed, "This is true. Andrea was ecstatic when we told her. She was the only one who knew for a while and it was killing her! I bet she'll be grateful to know that we're telling people now."

"She knew? Man, I'm going to punch him in the arm!" I exclaimed.

"He said you would say that," Molly said.

"Wow, Molly. That's so exciting," Sawyer gushed. Molly then went on to tell us more details about the baby and them getting ready for a new change in their lives. I was so happy for her.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~  
><strong>  
>Sam and Sawyer both collapsed on the bed, breathless and still coming down from their high.<p>

"Wow, why did we wait so long?" Sawyer asked, running a hand through her messy hair.

"I'm starting to wonder why too. Wow, you're amazing..." Sam smiled.

"Me? Uh… you're the amazing one," Sawyer giggled.

Sam laughed, "I mean, I guess if you think about it, we've been waiting for… well, really anything since we were twelve. Why did it take us so damn long anyways?"

"Different lives… different states… too many silly reasons that just got in the way. But it doesn't matter anymore because we have each other now. Oh God, I sound so mushy but… it's true. And you're not allowed to say anything but I'm so lucky to have you in my life, Sam. You may not think that I'm lucky but I do and… I don't care about all the hunt and stuff. I'm not afraid of it. I know I wasn't brought up like Mer, but I'm not afraid so just so you know, there's no getting rid of me now," Sawyer said.

Sam smiled, "Good, because I don't plan on going."

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**


	21. Love: Such A Silly Game We Play

**~3****rd**** Person POV~  
><strong>

"_And love. Such a silly game we play. Like a summer's day in May. What is love, what is love? I just want you to be loved…"_

Sam rubbed his hand gently against Sawyer's bare back and kissed her forehead, "Time to wake up, sweetie. I made dinner." Sawyer opened her eyes and looked at the plate next to her bed of peanut butter and jelly.

"Ooh, with the crusts cut off," she smiled. She hugged the sheet to her chest before rolling over and kissing Sam. She pulled away as she saw what Sam was wearing.

"What're you wearing? Is that my robe?" Sawyer asked, giving Sam a funny look. Then again, it was hard to take him seriously in a white floral printed kimono.

"Uh, yeah. Well, I couldn't find my clothes and I figured I wouldn't give the neighbors a show," Sam chuckled.

Sawyer giggled, "I'm not quite sure I can take you seriously in that." Sam gave her a playful hurt look before standing up.

"Well, I uh, I guess I'll just have to go commando, then," Sam teased, dropping the robe of the floor, leaving his naked body.

Sawyer raised an eyebrow, "I'm not quite sure I can take you seriously like that either."

Sam chuckled a little before getting in bed with Sawyer. Sawyer cuddled up to Sam and the two of them lay like that for a while.

"You're clothes are in the laundry room, by the way," Sawyer said.

"Ah, I see. Can you believe it's April? We've almost been together for four months now," Sam started.

"Speaking of four months, do you have any plans tomorrow night?" Sawyer asked.

"I don't think so," Sam replied.

"Good. I'm just making sure that you don't have to run away with Dean on another one of your demon hunting adventures," Sawyer replied.

"Adventures?" Sam asked, laughing a little.

"Yeah, I guess I'm trying to stay optimistic about it. It's easier for me to let you go if I call them adventures rather than hunts," Sawyer answered, nodding.

"But I always come back, don't I?" Sam asked. Sawyer nodded. "See, you have nothing to worry about. Hah, you are so cute."

"Hah, well I'm glad that you're free tomorrow night because I thought maybe you and I could go out. Celebrate those four months… something like that," Sawyer said.

"Okay. I'd like that, actually," Sam said.

"Okay," Sawyer said. "Alright, I can finish dinner later. Why don't you get over and maybe we can kiss a little… maybe even do a little more than kiss."

Sam smirked, "I like the sound of that."

"I thought you would," Sawyer answered. Sam rolled over so that he was on top of Sawyer and shared playful, sweet kisses with her. Sam pulled away for a moment.

"I love you," Sawyer said. Oh shit. That wasn't supposed to happen. "It slipped. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-."

"I love you too," Sam said back.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

_"I can feel it in your kiss. It just gives me tender bliss. What is love, what is love? I just want you to be loved…"_

"Where'd Daddy go?" Jude asked, curiously.

"He only went to park the car. He's going to bring John in with him, buddy. Don't worry," I reassured. Jude followed me to an empty table where the both of us sat down. Jude sat down next to me and he looked over at me.

"Grandma Andrea made pie?" he asked.

"I think so. But if you want some, you're going to have to eat your breakfast first. Then you can have pie," I replied.

"I can do that!" Jude said, nodding once so sure. I laughed.

"Okay. It's a deal then," I said.

"Deal," Jude smiled mischievously. Just then, Dean came into the café, holding and making funny faces at John. John was smiling a little, but it looked like he hadn't taken it well when Dean woke him up from his slumber to get him out of the car. At least he was laughing now. Dean came and sat down at the table with us.

"There is no need to fuss, buddy. I know, I woke you up from your nap but sometimes your Mommy wakes me up and I don't complain. Then again, she wakes me up a little bit differently," Dean said, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes playfully. A waiter came by and took our order.

"Hey, Taylor. I didn't know you were working here now," I said, smiling as soon as I saw one of my English 11 students.

"Yeah, I just got the job," Taylor replied.

"Good for you," I said back.

"Hey, Coach Winchester," Taylor said.

"Hi. How's the team been?" Dean asked back.

"Good. We've had an okay season. It's too bad you couldn't coach this year though. The assistant coach kind of sucks. Reid agrees," Taylor replied.

Dean chuckled, "Well thanks. Yeah, work has been keeping me out on the road a lot." While they talked, Dean put John into his high chair so that he could sit up. I had a sandwich bag full of cheerios for him to eat and/or play with. He usually did both.

"I see. Oh no! Andre, what'd I tell you about coming over when I'm working? You can't do that, kiddo," Taylor said. "Sorry, this is my little brother. Mom asked me to take him to the café today. Sorry about this."

"Oh, no it's fine. He can join us if he wants. How old?" I asked.

"Three," Taylor replied.

"Oh, well my son Jude is three as well. Maybe they'll find some things in common," I replied.

"You sure? I don't want to put any babysitting job on you, Mrs. Winchester. Especially because you're my teacher… and you could fail me…" Taylor trailed off.

I laughed, "It's no trouble at all. We'd love to have him."

"What she said," Dean shrugged, just going along with what I said. I laughed again.

"Hey, Andre, why don't you go sit over there? You can make a new friend," Taylor urged.

"But where will you go?" Andre asked back.

"I'm just going to work, okay? I kind of have to. Do you want me to get fired?" Taylor asked playfully.

"No," Andre replied, shaking his head.

"Okay, now go and behave yourself. No funny business, ya hear?" Taylor asked.

"None at all. I promise," Andre said back. Taylor picked him up and put him in the chair next to Jude. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a problem," I said back.

"Hey, where's Andrea today?" I asked.

"Oh, she'll be coming in soon. Dave started us up this morning. She's been so busy helping Ethan to prepare for the new baby and everything so she took a later shift. I don't blame her! The woman has worked every day since the opening of this place," Taylor replied.

"Yeah, makes sense," I said, before leaving.

"He's a good kid, that Taylor guy. I remember him. He was… what a sophomore when I was coaching?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"You look beautiful today, baby. As always," Dean smiled, kissing me once.

"Sorry you got stuck with waking up John. It looks like you did well though. He doesn't seem at all cranky anymore," I observed.

"That's 'cuz he's got a goofy dad," Dean chuckled.

I giggled, "He does have a goofy dad."

"Hey, look," Dean said, nudging me and glancing over at Jude and Andre. They seemed to really be bonding. "First friend?"

"I think so," I replied. The two of us watched our son make friends with one of my student's little brother. They were just talking but it was really adorable.

"My mom makes the best mac and cheese," Jude said.

"My mom makes the bestest spaghetti in the world," Andre replied.

"My favorite color is blue. Sometimes it's red," Jude continued.

"I like green," Andre said back.

"I like cars. I have some I like to play with," Jude informed.

"I like cars too," Andre smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"Maybe some time you can come over and play cars with me," Jude suggested.

"Yeah. I can ask my brother," Andre nodded quickly.

"How did we end up with such an articulate son? Look at those social skills," I chuckled.

"The smart thing, I give you credit. The social thing? That's all me, baby," Dean bragged.

"Are you kidding me? Um, no. I'm a teacher. I have to be able to work with people. The only social skills you have are how to pick up a girl in a bar which, I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about," I replied.

"Well, I'm pretty sure he got that from me too," Dean smirked.

"Hey, let's not rush into things yet. Jude still thinks kissing is gross. I think we're getting just a little bit ahead of ourselves, don't you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but you know he's going to be a total lady killer when he grows up," Dean said.

I sighed, "Unfortunately, yes."

"Oh please, like you don't love it?" Dean asked.

"I do not!" I protested.

"You do too. It's all a part of my charm, baby," Dean smirked. I rolled my eyes.

"Okay, whatever you say, Dean," I said. Dean smiled looking over at me. "What?"

"Nothing," Dean shrugged.

"No, that is not a nothing face," I said back.

"How do you know my 'not a nothing' face?" Dean asked.

"Uh… because you do it. All the time. And we're married so I've kind of gotten used to your 'not a nothing' face," I answered.

"Nothing. It's just… you're incredibly hot when you're mad. You know, Jude seems to be perfectly fine here with Andre and when Andrea gets here, she could watch John. How about you and I take this to the car?" Dean whispered in my ear, seductively, sending chills down my spine.

"No," I said.

"Whatever you say," Dean replied.

"Maybe later," I said, looking over at him.

He smirked, "See, I knew you'd cave."

"Dean!" I groaned.

"What?" he asked.

"Do you have to be so- so- so obnoxious…. And sexy, but obnoxious is the main point! We're in public and I kind of want to punch you… and accept your 'car' offer all at the same time so will you just… stop!" I exclaimed.

"Later?" he propositioned.

"Yes, later," I giggled. He pulled me in for another kiss but we pulled away as soon as Jude and Andre started laughing.

"I think kissing is gross," Jude said.

"Me too. My mommy and daddy do it and my brother kisses his girlfriend. I'm never going to kiss a girl. They have cooties," Andre said. The two snickered before continuing their conversation about things that three year olds had conversations about.

"Hey, I hope we're not too late," Sam said, coming into the café with Sawyer.

"Sammy, you missed the show!" Dean cheered as soon as Sam and Sawyer both sat down. Sam gave him a weird look.

"What show?" Sawyer asked.

"Oh nothing. Just Dean being obnoxious," I replied.

"If I'm do recall properly, you did say that I was obnoxious _and_sexy," Dean replied, emphasizing the 'and' part.

"Don't mind him. How are you guys?" I asked, attempting to change the subject. Under the table, Dean snaked his hand into mine and I couldn't help but smile. Although sometimes he was obnoxious, I still loved him.

"Good. Sawyer's finally found the new manuscript they're going to work on," Sam said.

"Oh and we finally finished up the apartment," Sawyer added.

"Wow, you guys have been working on that for a while," I commented.

"Was it really that long ago?" Sawyer asked Sam.

"Yeah, maybe. Well, we only work on it when I'm in town," Sam reminded.

"Yeah, it's starting to seem like it's not just Sawyer's," Dean added, both of us dropping not so subtle hints.

"Well, Sam has been amazing," Sawyer said.

"I bet," Dean commented. I elbowed him in the ribcage. "Ow!"

"Too far, honey," I said. There was just an amused look on Sam's face.

"Hey, I'm going to use the restroom. Mer, will you come with me?" Sawyer asked.

"Sure," I said, getting up.

"What's up?" I asked, as soon as we were in the bathroom.

"We uh, we did the whole big I love you thing last night," Sawyer gushed.

"Wow. That's a big deal. Well, that's good, right?" I asked.

"Yes, definitely good. I've been thinking about it for weeks now but it just kind of slipped and he said it back and… it's really good," Sawyer smiled.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"You two seem to becoming more of an 'us' every day now," Dean commented.

"Dean, will you just quit it?" Sam asked. "Knock it off, man. I mean, I never gave you and Meredith shit."

"I'm just sayin', Sammy. I'm surprised she hasn't asked you to move in with her. You practically live with her anyways!" Dean said.

Sam sighed, "We said 'I love you' last night."

"Woah," Dean said.

"Yeah," Sam said back. "I do… I really do. I just don't want to hurt her, you know? With my job… she's not in the life. I don't want to drag her into it. And seeing what I've done… soulless?"

"You're just scared, dude. I've seen you guys the past four months. You're good for each other, Sammy. Don't mess that up," Dean advised.

"Wow," Sam said.

"What?" Dean asked.

"I just… never heard you talk like that. I mean, a couple of years ago, you were in my place. I guess I never saw you on the other side," Sam replied.

Dean shrugged, "When you're married and have two kids you start to hate yourself a little less. I mean, you still want think you're going to screw it all up, but still."

"Optimistic, Dean," Sam replied, sarcastically.

"Optomistic is my middle name, Sammy," Dean replied, jokingly. The two brothers shared a subdued laugh before John started crying again. "Damn it." Dean started to get up but Sam stopped him.

"No, don't get up. Let me," he said. Dean sat back down and watched as his little brother tried to calm John down. Jude and Andre had gone and sat in the corner to play with some of his cars and Dean made sure to keep an eye on the two.

"See, you're a natural," Dean replied.

**~End 3rd Person POV~**


	22. Let It BleedThe Man Who Knew Too Much

**Author's Note:**I know that The French Mistake was a popular request but I just couldn't find any motivation to write it. I really am sorry! I hope you enjoy this chapter though. It is based on "Let it Bleed" though I'm putting my own spit on it… This last section though, is from "The Man Who Knew Too Much". I hope it doesn't feel too rushed but most of the season finale took place in Sam's mind so I decided to take Meredith out of the ending because it was getting a little crazy with their kids. They need to be home or they would think something was terribly wrong!

P.S. Two chapters out tonight! Whooooo! Enjoy :)

* * *

><p>"Hey, you," I said, coming into Bobby's dimly lit room. I sat next to Dean on the couch he was sitting on as he flipped through some of Moishe Campbell's notes on this H.P Lovecraft. We were endlessly searching for something about closing the doors to purgatory and I knew that after Cas' betrayal, Dean was taking it really hard.<p>

"Hey," he said, staring at the page. He then looked up at me and smiled weakly.

"You okay?" I asked. Dean just stared at me. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't even ask that… Cas was like family to you – to us."

"No, thank you for asking," Dean replied.

""It's a good thing that Jude and John are spending the night at Andrea's tonight. It just would've been too much with all this. I don't even know if Jude understands what's going on," I started.

"Yeah. Look, can we not talk about it right now? I just… can't," Dean asked. I nodded, accepting that as an answer.

"Well, what do you want to do?" I asked.

Dean sighed, "Come here." I giggled a little and settled in next to him. I leaned my head on his shoulder and he leaned his head against mine, turning another page of the journal. "This is all I want to do."

"Okay, well, I can do that," I said back. I glanced at the pages but I could tell that Dean really needed me right now. After a couple more minutes, I could feel a vibration against my leg. Dean and I both jumped a little and we pulled away from each other. "I think that's your phone."

"Oh," Dean said, pulling it out and then answering it. "Cameron?" My heart began to fall as soon as I heard the panicked voice on the other line.

"No, it's Blake! Dean, we're in trouble. Cameron had a friend over. They were just watching the game and I fell asleep but I woke up to shouting and… they killed Billy, Cameron's friend," Blake said, panicked.

"Who is they, Blake? You're going to have speak slower. Where are you?" Dean asked, urgently.

"I'm in the bathroom with the bathroom. If you could get over here. I could go out there with Cameron and hold them off until you and Meredith got here but-," Blake said.

"We'll be right there. But Blake, you need to run now. Cameron knows how to defend himself but I know you haven't hunted like he has. You need to go. How many are there? What are they?" Dean asked. I could feel a wave of panic wash over me. Cameron and Blake were in trouble. Cameron had gotten out of the life. He was in college and he was out and they were only visiting for the summer. Once he went to college, he decided to quit. There would be no reason for demons to go after Caleb and Blake except- me and Dean. This would be my fault. Sam came into the room, a question mark written all over his face. He looked concerned.

"I think just demons," Blake replied.

"Well, do you two have anything… shot gun? Knives?" Dean asked.

"No. He quit," Blake answered.

Dean sighed, "Alright, Meredith and I are coming now. Stay on the phone with me. Are you with me? Blake? Blake?"

"Dean? Are they alright?" I asked, my voice catching in my throat.

"Hello, Dean," another voice said. This time it was a male's voice. "Let's have a chat."

I could hear Dean screaming at Crowley over the phone with threats to kill him but nothing would work. Crowley had gotten Blake and Cameron and it was our fault. He knew how much they meant to us. Cameron was practically our son and Blake was still a part of the family. Cameron had gotten out of the life meaning that he was off guard and unprotected. Andrea was a hunter, meaning she made sure that her home was protected and that her son protected his house as well, especially with the new baby. Sawyer knew how to defend herself leaving Cameron and Blake open for target. Dean finally hung up the phone. He looked devastated.

"Dean?" I asked.

"What's the story?" Bobby asked, rushing in.

"Crowley'll keep them breathing as long as we sit on our thumbs," Dean answered.

Sam sighed, "You think Cas knows about this?" I hated thinking that Cas would take part in something like this but then again we thought he'd never work with Crowley.

"We've gotta assume he does," Dean replied. I nodded slowly. This was all too much at once. I didn't want to mess around with red tape or anything. I just wanted to go after Crowley. This was Blake and Cameron. They were family.

"So what do we do?" Sam asked.

"I'll tell you what I'm not gonna do: sit here. I'm goin' after 'em," Dean replied, determined.

"Me too," I managed to get out.

"I'm coming with you guys," Sam started.

"No, Sam, stay here. You and Bobby have to work on this HP Lovecraft thing. It's not like it's some small task we can throw away and you guys seem to have a handle on it," Dean said.

"Are you stupid? This is a suicide mission! How are you even going to find them?" Bobby asked.

Sam, Dean, and I all exchanged glances. We knew a source: Balthazar.

* * *

><p>Balthazar was no help. Dean had taken it into his own hands to "inquire" demons about Cameron and Blake. John and Jude stayed at Andrea's for the day. I just didn't feel right having them around with all this – especially with Dean torturing demons in the garage. I had gone to see Jude and at least try to explain it to him a little bit but he didn't quite understand.<p>

I sat on the hood of a car outside of the garage, just waiting for Dean. Once I thought the screaming would stop, it kept going. Dean was ruthless. I could see Bobby and Sam exchanging a couple of words as Bobby returned but I was so worried.

"Cas, please. I don't know if you had any part in this but even if you did, just, just bring them back. Please. They have nothing to do with this. They're not trying to stop purgatory. God, damn it, Cas! How could you do this to us? To your family? I just… bring them back and you can take me. I'll be your… insurance or whatever the hell you want. Just bring them back, please. I will never ask you for a single thing again," I prayed. I opened my eyes and Cas wasn't there. I shook my head, scoffing. This was getting ridiculous. I watched as Sam went into the garage and then came back out. He sat next to me on the hood of the car and we just sat in silence for a while.

"I hate seeing him like this," I finally said, breaking the silence.

"I know. Me too," Sam answered.

"I won't be able to forgive myself is something happens to them, Sam. What're we supposed to do?" I asked, helpless.

"We're going to figured out a way. I promise," Sam comforted. I nodded, wanting so much to believe those words. Just then, I saw something strange. "Sawyer?"

"Is everything okay?" she asked, coming over to Sam and us. She could tell that something was wrong as she looked from both Sam and I.

"Not really, Sawyer," I answered.

* * *

><p>"Here's the catch: Crowley seems to have angel blocked the place. Nice relationship they've got going there. I can only get you there but I can't get you in," Balthazar said.<p>

"Alright, fine. Get us as close as you can. Whatever it takes," I said, eagerly.

"Alright. But you're on your own after that," Balthazar said.

"You can get us there?" Dean asked.

"Of course, love," Balthazar smirked. Sam, Dean and I made for Balthazar until a small voice stopped us.

"Wait," Sawyer said. All three of us turned around to see a helpless Sawyer with tears in her eyes. "Can I at least talk to Sam before you go?"

"Sure," Balthazar said. Dean and I shifted uncomfortable and Sam shot us an apologizing look before following Sam outside onto the front porch. Sam just stood there while Sawyer started pacing and talking. I knew what they were going through. Sawyer though that Sam was going to die and she had every right to. I think she wanted to say goodbye but it was also more than that.

_On the porch…_

"But what if purgatory is opened when you're there? You're only supposed to go for Blake and Cameron right?" Sawyer asked.

"Sawyer it's a little more complicated than that. We can let the doors of purgatory open," Sam answered.

"Why not?" she exclaimed.

"Purgatory is bad, Sawyer," Sam reasoned.

"I know that! But, Sam, I just want you to be safe. What if-," Sawyer started but Sam cut her off with a kiss.

"No 'what ifs'. I'm coming home to Sawyer. Look, nothing will happen to me. I'll be fine. I love you," Sam said.

"I love you too, Sam, but you can't make those kinds of promise. I saw what it did to Meredith to lose Dean and I can't lose you too," Sawyer cried desperately.

Sam sighed, "Sawyer, I have to go. They're are friends."

"It's crazy! These things happen! Any day, we could lose the person we love the most and that have so many regrets we-," Sawyer started.

"Sawyer, what're you talking about?" Sam asked, slightly confused at Sawyer's ranting.

"It's all just too much! I mean, Blake and Cameron are a part of the family and to think that this stuff happens every day. It's awful, Sam! I know I never really was a hunter so this is like double the shock for me but… but it is. And I'm just grateful enough to get to come home to you, who is lucky enough to be safe. You make me happy and- Marry me, Sam. Anything could happen right now and I just- marry me. I mean, why are we even waiting? If I love you and you love me? We've waiting since we were twelve to be together so why should we wait any longer? God, I know it's fast, but marry, me, Sam." Sawyer finally said. Sam was speechless and didn't know what to say. Of course he wanted to marry Sawyer, but he was afraid of saying yes if something happened. It wouldn't be fair to her. He'd say yes if he came back.

"Sam, come on!" Sam hear Dean yell from the kitchen

"I've got to go. We'll talk when we get back," Sam said.

"Sam," Sawyer said, hoping to stop him.

"I'm sorry," Sam said, backing away a little. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sawyer said, before sharing one goodbye kiss with Dean, before finally leaving.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Dean, Mer, Sam, thank God, you're here," Cameron sighed, seeing the three of us. Cameron and Blake were both tied up on the floor, back to back.<p>

"We've still gotta get you out of here," I said, kneeling down and working on cutting off Blake's ropes while Dean worked on Cameron's.

"I'm so sorry, Cameron. We should've never left you unarmed," Dean said, feverishly working on Cameron's ropes. Once they were free the two stood up.

"Come on," I said, as Dean and I turned around and made for the door.

"Not so fast," we both heard Cameron say. We turned around to see Cameron holding a knife to Blake's throat. His eyes went black and he smiled wickedly. I gasped, trying to control my impulses. If I just attacked demon Cameron, he would kill Blake.

"Boss said you might come so he had me jump the mini-you here. It's pathetic how much he's like you but we couldn't lose our leverage now could we?" Cameron asked. I tensed up and I could feel Dean tensing up too. Dean took a step forward but Cameron stopped him. "Uh uh. One more step and his little girlfriend here is dead. I can hear him thinking in here, you know?"

"Blake don't listen to him," I shouted.

"What? I was just going to tell her that he doesn't really love her. He felt so bad for cheating on her during freshmen year of college that when they saw each other the summer after, he had no choice but to say yes when she wanted him back. The only thing holding this relationship together is guilt, sweetheart," demon Cameron smirked. Blake whimpered and demon Cameron only held the knife closer to her.

"Blake, don't listen to him. Cameron loves you. We all know that," Dean said, searching for some answer.

"And what would you know about love, Dean? You know, you thought you could teach Cameron something, be his father. How the hell were you supposed to do that? You can't even be a good father to your own children," the demon sneered. That was it for Dean. He threw holy water onto Cameron and I made a run for Blake.

"You're going to fine alright, Blake. We just need to get you out of here," I said, trying to stay calm. Dean was exorcising the demon out of Cameron and all seemed to be going well until Cameron stabbed himself.

"No!" I screamed. Blake saw what had happened and began to run towards Cameron. Tears streamed down her face but I held her back. The demon was finally gone so I let her go and the both of us ran towards Cameron. I took of my jacket and pressed it to Cameron's wound, hoping to stop the blood.

"We have to get him to the hospital," Dean said.

"What happened?" we heard a voice ask. It was Sam.

"Sammy, call an ambulance!' Dean yelled.

As soon as we got to the hospital, it was like a giant blur. The doctors were rushing Cameron to a trauma room to see if there was anything they could do. Sam, Dean, Blake, and I just stood there, hoping and praying that they'd be alright. I took Blake to the lobby and we just wait. She cried on my shoulder and I just let her. Dean wouldn't stop pacing around while Sam just sat down and was still. If something happened to Cameron, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I guess what they say about getting out of the life was true: you never did. But then again, he wouldn't have been kidnapped if it hadn't been for me. If Dean and I hadn't been so close to him... Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Once things calmed down, they took Cameron to a room and hooked him up to all these machines. Blake broke down when they told us there wasn't much more they could do. We went into the room and just waited.

I stared at Cameron hooked up to all those machines. Blake stood by me, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I'm so sorry, Blake," I said, tears in my voice, but I wouldn't let them fall. Blake nodded once before leaving the hospital room. "I'm coming to get a cup of coffee. Do you want something?"

"No thanks," I answered. I didn't blame her is he blamed me. Cameron was practically our son and since our actual sons were cloaked and demon proof, Cameron was the next best thing. Damn it! If only we had-… The doctors had told us that there was nothing that they could do but make him comfortable.

Dean sighed but the two of us practically jumped as Castiel appeared behind us.

"What do you want?" Dean spat. "He'll be dead by midnight."

"I didn't come here for you," Castiel said, before floating over to Cameron and touching his forehead. I began to see the color in face come back and his heart rate was sounding a lot better. He had healed Cameron.

"Thank you," both Dean and I mumbled.

"I wished this changed anything," Dean started.

"So do I. I just came to fix what Crowley did," Cas started.

"You can do one more thing for me," Dean said. I knew what Dean was thinking.

"Wait a minute," I said. "Dean, can we talk?" Cas stayed in the hospital room while Dean and I went outside into the hallway.

"You can seriously think that we can wipe their memories of us. How are they going to explain meeting or-… or Cameron leaving his dad, or a lot of things? Living with us his last years of high school, sharing his acceptance letter to UNC?" I asked, almost furious that Dean even thought about wiping their memories.

"Cas will make something up. Cameron lived on his own. His dad was a drunk so he emancipated himself and living in apartment in Sioux Falls by himself. Blake worked at the café. You just weren't there," Dean replied.

I sighed, "Why?"

"Do you want something like this to happen again? The reason it did is because Cameron is practically our son! But he got out and he was unarmed. If we do this, they'll be out of the life for good. They can go back to North Carolina, live a happily life together," Dean explained.

I nodded slowly, "I hate this."

"You don't think I do?" Dean exclaimed, staring at me.

I nodded slowly, "Okay."

We went back into the room, "Do it, Cas." We then left and as soon as I got into the hall, Dean just pulled me into his arms and held me. We watched as Cameron woke up with Blake beside him and they rejoiced in their reunion. Dean and I pulled away and knew it was time to go in.

"Who are you? What happened?" Cameron asked.

"You uh, you were in an accident. I was driving and lost control for a minute... I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry," Dean said. I gave his hand a tight squeeze. I knew it was hard for him to stand here and say this to them. It was hard enough for me to not beg Cas to take it back and collapse on the floor in grief. We were losing Cameron and Blake. That was a big deal.

"Oh," Blake said, glancing at Cameron nervously.

"Well, we're all okay so that's what's important, right?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah. Well, uh, we'll just leave you two alone. Sorry, again," I said, trying to fight back tears. I took Dean out of the room before I was going to lose it. "Let's just get Sam and go back to Bobby's. See what he has on all this HP Lovecraft stuff." Dean followed behind me as we met Sam at the car. I knew that if I talked about it, I would lose it and I just needed to focus on something else.

"Wait, Mer. Before we go back to Bobby's, let's just go back to café, check on Jude and John, okay?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "Okay."

* * *

><p>"Where is he? I need to see him," Sawyer asked, panicked, as she ran into Bobby's house in search of Sam.<p>

"He's totally out, but you can try," Dean said, passively.

"Okay," Sawyer said, before making her way to the panic room where Sam's unconscious body was lying. Castiel had broken down the wall in Sam's head and he hadn't woken up ever since. It was like Cas was a totally different person!

"How's he doing?" I asked.

"I don't know. It seems like he's having nightmares," Dean replied.

I nodded slowly, "I guess he's starting to remember everything," I said back.

"I guess so," Dean said back. "Mer, can I talk to you about something?"

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked back.

"We're going to Crowley's hideout – just me and Bobby," Dean said.

"Wait, but why can't I-," I started.

"Don't you think at least one of us should be with our kids? It's be a couple of days, Meredith. It's been too long and you have school. What about your students? I have a feeling this may take a while," Dean replied.

"Dean, that's not fair. You're just going to assume that I can't-," I started.

"Please, Mer. Please, just do this for me," Dean begged. I looked into his eyes and knew that he was serious. I hadn't seen him this serious about me staying since the day he went off to die. "We just lost Cameron and Blake. I can't lose you too."

"They just got their way out, Dean. It's going to be okay," I said, almost because I needed to hear those words myself.

Dean nodded slowly, "We've got to go. I'll call."

"Okay. I'll pick up the kids from Andrea's and bring them back to their house. I'll tell them that you just went out on a normal hunt. I don't want them to worry or anything," I said back.

"That'll work," Dean replied. The two of us stood up. "Take Sawyer away from this. She doesn't need to see what's going to happen to Sam. She can stay at our place tonight. Anything!"

I nodded, "Okay. I love you, Dean. Be careful, alright? Be safe."

"I will," he said back. "I love you too." We shared one kiss before he got ready to go out to Crowley's hiding place.


	23. I and Love and You

**Author's Note:**This takes place after "The Girl Next Door" (the episode) and it's around late June. Just thought I'd let you know!

* * *

><p>Dean had been out on hunts for a couple of weeks and I was beginning to worry now. He would call every so often, but ever since he and Bobby had left for Crowley's hideout, he had been out on the road. I had no idea what had happened to Cas. Nothing. I needed Dean to be home with us, especially after Bobby's house burnt down. It was frightening how close all of the harm was actually getting to us. Dean always went out on hunts but now that it was getting closer to home, I was getting more and more nervous, especially for the boys.<p>

"Mama, Daddy's been out too long," Jude said to me as I made lunch.

"I know, sweetie. Mama thinks so too," I replied.

"I miss Daddy," Jude said, nestling against me.

I nodded, "I do too but we've got to be strong for him, okay? I think he's had a lot going on and when he come home, it's our job to take care of him, okay?"

"Okay. I think we can do good at taking care of Daddy," Jude said.

I giggled, "Me too, buddy. Hey, why don't you go make your bed before your dad comes home. I think he'd really like it if you tidied up that messy room of yours!"

"Okay, but Mommy," Jude started.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Is it okay for me to be scared for Daddy?" Jude asked, nervously.

"Of course it's okay for you to be scared. It's perfectly normal, son," I replied. Jude nodded, before I went with him up the stairs. Jude went into his room and tried his best to clean up his room while I went to John's room to check on him. John was taking another nap. I knew he'd get cranky if I woke him up but I didn't want him to sleep too much so that he'd go to bed tonight.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the front door opening and then closing, footsteps following. It was either an axe murder or Dean. I hurried down the steps, hoping for the latter. As soon as I saw Dean just standing in the hallway, I practically jumped into his arms. He gave me a weak smile and just embraced me for a while.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi, yourself," Dean replied.

I smiled at him, "Can I get you anything?"

"Can we talk?" Dean asked.

I nodded but we were interrupted.

"Daddy!" Jude cried at the top of the steps. Dean grinned seeing his son.

"Hey, buddy! I'll come up there and give you hug but I need to talk to your mama, okay? How about you wait up there for me and then we'll talk. I've got some important things to tell your mom," Dean bargained.

"Okay. But promise you will come up?" Jude asked.

"I promise," Dean nodded. Dean led me to our bedroom and we shut the door. Dean sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed, rubbing his eyes with his hands. He looked up at me. "It was awful, Mer. I don't even know where to begin."

"Okay. Well we don't have to-," I started.

"No, I should," Dean said. He took a couple of moments to just breath before finally opening his mouth again. The souls that got into Cas… they killed him. His body couldn't take it anymore but they took over and they're free. They're called leviathins. We were hunted by them and uh… well, now we have something to worry about," Dean started. He went on and explained the rest of it – all the hunts, being away from home.

"Is there anything else I should know about?" I asked, softly.

"Nope. Last hunt we just saw an old friend of Sam's," Dean replied simply.

"Did you get the thing?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I'm sorry, Dean. I wish I could've been there for you. Would it have helped if I had been?" I asked.

Dean shook his head, "No. It would have only made me worry more. I'm glad that you were here, safe. I didn't have to worry about you or Jude or John for a while which was nice."

"Hey, speaking of Jude, do you think you could say hello? He's so afraid for you, Dean," I requested.

"Sure," Dean replied, standing up. I followed him out of our bedroom and we went up the stairs to go see Jude.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

There was a knock at the door and Sawyer rushed to it. She didn't care who it was because the slightest possibility that it could be Sam was enough to make her run to the door. Sawyer flung the door open to see Sam standing there. He looked tired, but he looked happy to see her.

"Hi," she smiled, seeing him.

"Hi," Sam replied. Sawyer flung her arms around Sam and held him tightly. Sam held her just as tight before slowly retreating. "Can I come in?"

"Of course," Sawyer said, welcoming Sam in. Sam stepped over the threshold and into the Sawyer's apartment. Sawyer closed the door behind him. She was thinking about what Meredith always said about when Dean came back from hunts. She wanted to be thoughtful of Sam and what he had probably just been through, so she didn't want to bring up the whole embarrassing proposal thing.

"How are you? Wow, I didn't realize how long I'd been away until I came back today. You moved some stuff around…" Sam said.

"Oh, yeah… that. When I get antsy I rearrange rooms. I don't know what it is," Sawyer laughed nervously. Sam chuckled, staring at the beautiful woman that stood before him. Sam was nervous for what he was about to do but he knew it was the right thing.

"I see," Sam said.

"Right. Is everything okay, if you don't mind me asking? Mer said that sometimes Dean comes home a mess and I know you two have been through a lot in the past couple of weeks and I just want you to know that I can handle it. Whatever it is, I'm here to listen. I was to be here for you," Sawyer offered up, making her way towards Sam.

"Actually, I'm alright. But I don't want to talk about that stuff right now," Sam said.

"Oh," Sawyer said back. It made her nervous that it felt like Sam was closing himself off. Did he not trust her?

"I wanted to talk about something else," Sam said.

"Oh," Sawyer replied, getting the hint. "Look, about what I said-."

"Wait," Sam said back. "Yes, I do want to talk about… what you said before I left. If that's alright with you…"

"Oh, that whole awkward, marriage proposal thing? Look, I'm sorry. We can just forget about it," Sawyer said, trying to push it away for now.

"No. I wanted to uh… to reply to you. Look, Sawyer, this is all very fast," Sam started.

"I know! I know! I shouldn't have-," Sawyer interrupted, berating herself for proposing to Sam.

"Wait," Sam chuckled.

"Sorry," Sawyer said. She took a deep breath. "I promise I'll stop interrupting you. I'm just going to shut my mouth and let you talk…"

"You're fine," Sam said, shooting her a smile. He wanted her to know that it was all okay. He loved this woman so much. "I think you're wrong. I'm the one grateful for to get to come home to you. You are wonderful and beautiful. You're smart and sexy, and too funny for your own good. I have to go out there and face all this terrible stuff, but I'm lucky enough to have you to come home to. You feel like home, Sawyer. I love you so much and…" Sam got something out of his pocket before getting down on one knee. "And I'm sorry, but I can't accept your proposal until you accept mine." Sawyer gasped. This was the last thing she had expected would happen. "Look, I know it's fast but you said it yourself. Why are we waiting anymore? We've been waiting since we were twelve. I'm done waiting, Sawyer. We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow so why should we wait any longer?"

"Yes, Sam. Yeah, I'll marry you," she finally said. Sam got up, grinning at her and pulled her into a passionate, romantic kiss. "You know, I never thought I'd hear you say that. I thought you'd come back and things would be all awkward and that I had screwed things up with the proposal thing. I mean, it was just a spur of the moment thing but… here we are."

"Yeah. Here we are," Sam smiled.

"Oh and Sam?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah?" Sam asked back.

"For the record, I love you too," Sawyer answered. She pulled him in for another kiss. It was perfect.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"It's good to be home," Dean sighed.

"It's good to have you home," I answered, running my fingers through my sweatyish hair. Damn, I had missed my sexy husband and our spontaneous morning sex. Dean pulled me in for another kiss and I responded almost immediately. "You're already up for round two?"

"Well, yeah," Dean replied, matter of factly.

I giggled, "Okay."

"I'm so glad John is finally sleeping more. It means we can more time do to this," Dean smirked.

"Yeah, and just in time for you to come home," I replied. Just then, my cell phone rang.

"Don't get that," Dean groaned. I rolled off of him and lay on my back, hugging the sheet to my body. I reached over for my phone, and grabbed it off the night table.

"Dean, it's Sawyer. I have to talk to her. It'll take like, three minutes tops. I promise. If it's not, you can personally take the phone out of my hands and we can have our round two… and round three but that's if you're lucky," I smirked.

"Well if that means round three then answer the phone," Dean said. I hit the talk button and held the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Sawyer. What's up?" I asked.

"Not much. Everything is great here. Sam came home last night and we had a great talk last night. Speak of talks. Can we meet up?" Sawyer asked.

"And by 'we' you mean you and I?" I asked back.

"No… I mean you, me, Sam, Dean?" Sawyer suggested.

"Oh. This sounds serious," I teased.

Sawyer laughed, "It's just, uh, something really important and we want to talk to you guys about it. How about we come over this morning?"

"Tell her no," Dean said, as he began to kiss my neck. I tried to shrug him off of me.

"Dean, quit it," I giggled, but he wouldn't stop. He moved down my naked body, leaving kisses everywhere, disappearing underneath the sheets. Uh oh. This couldn't be good. "Shit. Uh yeah, Sawyer, you guys can come over this morning. How does ten thirty sound?"

"That's great," Sawyer said. I covered my mouth as Sawyer kept talking and my breathing go heavier. I could feel Dean's lips on my inner thighs, moving higher and higher until… I grabbed a handful of the sheets and tried my hardest to control my moans.

"Oh wow," I gasped.

"And we can even make something to bring over if you want. I would hate for you to have to do all the cooking," Sawyer said.

"Huh? What? Sorry, Sawyer," I asked. I hadn't even heard what she had said. Dean inserted two fingers into me and I was about to let go. He moved hard and fast and I was on the verge of screaming.

"I just thought-. Mer, what are you doing?" Sawyer asked back.

"Nothing," I panted. "Oh shit. Sawyer, I've got to go. Breakfast sounds great. Bring over whatever you want. I've got to go. Bye." I ended the call and threw my phone onto the floor before moaning out Dean's name over and over again.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Never let me do that ever again," Sawyer said, hanging up the phone and sitting it down on the counter, practically repulsed by it.

"What?" Sam asked, laughing a little. He looked up from his page of the New York times over at Sawyer as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Never let me call Dean and Mer, ever again. It's… you don't know what you might here," Sawyer hissed.

"Do I even want to know?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No," Sawyer replied but the look on her face said that she was dying to tell Sam.

"But you're going to tell me anyways, aren't you?" Sam asked.

"Yes! I have to share my disturbed disposition with someone!" Sawyer sighed. "I'm pretty sure that Dean and Meredith were having sex. It was just not something you ever want to have to hear over the phone, you know?"

"Trying sharing a room with them. Hah, try sharing an entire motel with them. They're on the second floor way down the hall and yet you can still hear them," Sam chuckled.

"Seriously?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah. We have great siblings, huh?" Sam joked.

"Apparently. Well, they want us to come over around ten thirty. I hope they're done by then because I do not need any more than what I heard on the phone. Ugh," Sawyer shuddered.

"Ten thirty sounds great," Sam said. Sawyer smiled and he smiled back at her. Sawyer was giddy with happiness. She was engaged to Sam Winchester.  
><strong><br>~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"If round two and the little "pre-show" before that hadn't been so good, I may have actually killed you," I said to Dean. He had one arm wrapped around me as I lay my head on his chest.

"Please, baby, you love it," Dean teased.

"Uh… not when I'm on the phone!" I exclaimed. He just chuckled and kissed my forehead. I glanced over at the clock. "We should really get up soon. Sam and Sawyer are coming over in like thirty minutes."

"We should… but what happened to round three?" Dean asked.

"Mmm, round three may have to be saved till tonight," I replied.

"That long?" Dean asked.

I giggled, "We just had sex, Dean… twice. That should hold you over until tonight."

"It might but-," Dean started. Right on cue, John started crying. "I guess we really do need to get up."

"Don't get up. I'll go get him. You just got home last night. I want you to relax," I said.

Dean shook his head, "It's fine. I want to see the little guy, anyways."

"Okay," I said.

"Okay," Dean replied, before kissing me once and then getting out of bed. I watched as he pulled on his boxer shorts and a t-shirt. I don't think I'd ever stop loving Dean Winchester.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure I can get you anything else, Sam?" I offered.<p>

"No, I'm fine, thanks," Sam replied, politely. I sat down next to Dean who was sitting next to Jude. John was in his high chair, playing with a couple of cheerios while Sam and Sawyer sat across from us.

"We've got to tell you guys something," Sawyer started.

"Oh?" I asked.

"Really?" Dean asked, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah. Now, we know it seems really fast," Sawyer started.

"But it seems right for us," Sam said.

"What seems right for you, Sammy? What, you two are moving in together?" Dean asked.

"Not exactly," Sam said.

"We're engaged!" Sawyer finally announced.

I gasped, "Oh my God. Congratulations!"

"Wow, nice, Sammy," Dean nodded. I giggled and Dean took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb over my thumb. I glanced over at him and we exchanged glances, sharing a secret, happy for smile for the both of our siblings.

"So how'd it happen?" I asked.

"Oh God," Dean groaned. I hit him playfully and rubbed his arm.

"Well, I asked Sam right before you guys left and it was kind of a spur of the moment, Freudian slip but it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would turn out," Sawyer said.

"I came home and I said to her, 'I can't accept your proposal until you accept mine' and uh, I asked her to marry me, gave her the ring and here we are… engaged! It's crazy, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah… but I think we saw it coming," I said, looking over at Dean.

"I didn't think it would happen this soon but uh, yeah. Congrats, guys," Dean replied.

"So when were you thinking of having the wedding?" I asked.

"Right… well, we uh… we actually wanted to talk to you about that too," Sawyer started.

"Okay…" Dean trailed off.

"We want to do it on Sunday," Sam blurted out.

"This Sunday?" I asked.

"Yeah. It's uh… well, Dean, you know how it is. We're going to go back out on the road soon and we figured why not just do it now?" Sam shrugged.

"But you don't even have a dress, or rings… or anyone to officiate the service," I started.

"We know, but we've thought this all out," Sawyer said.

"Go on," I said back.

"Well, we figured we'd do it somewhere small since this is so last minute and we'll get rings and a dress and all that but… well, Sam and I talked it over and Mer, since you're so amazing with words, we wanted to know if you'd officiate the service," Sawyer said, looking up from her cell phone. She had been feverishly typing something in.

"What?" I asked in disbelief.

"We don't want some big wedding. I looked into it and there's a spot at Sioux Falls park overlooking the Sioux Falls river that we're going to have it at on Sunday. We figured we'd have the reception at the Falcon like we also do when it comes to big things like this and… I don't know. That's as far as we figured," Sam said.

"Wait, Sawyer, Sam, I'm honored that you want me to officiate but… I'm not even liscenced to-." I started.

"Actually as of… now, you are – according to that is," Sawyer replied, looking up from her phone. "Please, Mer."

I looked over at Dean. "Well it seems like you two have really thought it all out," Dean said.

"We have. This isn't some crazy impulse things," Sam reasoned.

Dean nodded slowly, "I don't see why not."

"Okay, I'm ine… I guess," I added.

Sam and Sawyer smiled.

"Thank you."


	24. You're the Closest To Heaven

"Thank you so much, Molly. You are saving my life! I'm sorry that this is so last minute, guys! I know it's probably causing you some trouble but-," Sawyer started.

"Don't even go there. The trouble is totally worth it. You're getting married!" Molly said.

"Yes! My baby sister is getting married to our Sammy. Any kind of trouble that you're causing, which you're not, is totally worth it," I added.

"Thanks you guys. And thanks, again Molly for the bridesmaids' dresses. I didn't know you'd have so much in turquoise," Sawyer chuckled.

"Yeah, well, everyone looks good in turquoise. I pulled a couple of colors for you just in case though," Molly said.

"This is true. The both of you look good in anything. I hate you," Sawyer joked. Molly and I laughed.

"Oh please. With your legs? You, my dear, look good in anything," I replied.

Sawyer chuckled. "Well thanks. And Molly, I hope you don't mind that I'm just buying my wedding dress. It's such short notice and figured you probably wouldn't be able to design a dress in three days…"

"Of course not! You have nothing to worry about, Sawyer," Molly reassured.

The rest of the day, Molly, Sawyer and I went to pretty much all of the wedding stores in town to find Sawyer a dress. Sawyer was pretty sure that she wasn't going to find 'the one' but she'd go for the dress that felt closest to 'the one'. I was lucky enough that I had a super talented designer best friend who knew me well enough to design the perfect dress for me. We had gone to the bigger stores like David's Bridal and then smaller, local, stores as well. Finally, we found a locally owned store just right out of Sioux Falls.

"What do you guys think of this one?" Sawyer asked, turning around in the one-shouldered dress that she was wearing. It was long and white and kind of looked like Molly's wedding dress.

"Hm… I like it a lot. What about you, Mer?" Molly replied, turning to me for my opinion.

"I like it to. Look, Sawyer, you look beautiful in all of the dresses you've tried on but it doesn't seem like you like it that much," I said.

She nodded slowly, "You're right. Hey, can you hand me the other one that I-… oh my God."

"What?" Molly asked, turning around to see Sawyer walking towards the clearance rack that was just sitting at the back of the store by the fitting rooms.

"Sawyer?" I asked, looking back at her as well.

"It's the one," she said.

"Huh?" I asked back.

"The one. The wedding dress. This is the one… and it's on sale," Sawyer gasped, taking the dress from the rack and running her fingers over the elegant dress. "I think I'm going to try it on."

"Go for it," I said. Sawyer went into the dressing room to put on the dress leaving Molly and I outside of it to talk.

"So how are you?" I asked.

"I'm good. Ethan and I are adjusting to married life but it's been great. Nothing's really changed much except for we're actually married now," Molly giggled.

"Yeah, you two were together for a while before you decided to get married," I commented.

Molly nodded, "It gave us lots of time to see how the every now and then long distance stuff would work. But I've been exhausted with the baby and everything!"

"I know! Look at you! You're due in what… two months?" I asked.

"Yeah, August. Can you believe that I'm going to have a baby in two months? I can't," Molly answered.

I smiled, "You're going to be an amazing mom, Molly. I've seen you with John and Jude. You have nothing to worry about."

"I guess… but I'm terrified, Mer. That is normal, right?" Molly asked, concerned.

I smiled, "Yes, it's perfectly normal! Dean and I were terrified when we found out that we were pregnant with Jude but then you hold that baby in your arms and you see him or her for the first time and it's just… it's amazing. You forget to stop worrying about what you might screw up. Then, of course, there are the sleepless nights but it's really all worth it."

"Thanks, Mer. You always know what to say," Molly said.

"it's no problem," I replied.

"By the way, we found out the sex of the baby. Do you want to know?" Molly asked, excitedly.

"Yes!" I exclaimed.

"It's a girl," Molly squealed.

"Oh my God, congrats, Molly! That's amazing. I hope that she and John will be friends but then again if he's anything like Jude, he'll thinks he has cooties for the first five years of his life," I chuckled.

"I hope he gets over that soon because I really want our kids to be friends," Molly said.

"Me too," I agreed.

"Okay so it's a little loose but it's on sale and it's the one. It just feels right," Sawyer said, coming out of the dressing room in the dress. The dress was a strapless white dress with a sweetheart neckline. She looked beautiful in it.

"Oh my God, Sawyer it's perfect!" I said.

"Yeah. And don't worry about the size. I can do the alterations. I'll finish it tonight, actually," Molly replied.

"Really?" Sawyer asked.

Molly nodded, "of course."

"You two are the best," Sawyer smiled. My sister was finally getting married to the love of her life. I couldn't be any happier for her. When weddings happened, it always reminded me of Dean and how much I loved him.

* * *

><p>"Mer, what're you doing here?" Ethan asked.<p>

"I just thought I'd come drop by the new office. Damn, private practice really comes with its perks, huh? You have your own office now," I said, looking around Ethan's new fancy office. Ever since he moved from Sioux Falls hospital and into private practice, he had been working a little more and I had barely seen him.

"Glad you did. I don't have another appointment until two so I have a good twenty minutes. What's up?" Ethan asked.

"Not much," I replied, trying to seem casual. "How about you? Tell me about you!"

"Okay, so you know those times where you'd come to the café and start asking me about myself when all you really wanted to do was tell me about the fight that you had either had with Sawyer or your dad?" Ethan asked.

I sighed, "Okay, you caught me. Molly told me that you guys found out that you're having a girl and I really couldn't help myself! Congratulations!"

"Of course she told you!" Ethan said.

I laughed, "You two are my best friends. One of you is bound to tell me!"

"Well, thanks. We're really excited. We've starting buying gender specific clothes for the baby. It's all too surreal," Ethan said.

"Isn't it?" I asked back.

"Yeah, I mean… we're going to have a baby soon. That's just… crazy!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Take it from a girl who already has two," I said back.

Ethan chuckled, "Yeah. We're all grown up, huh?"

"I guess so," I replied.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"You're really doin' this, aren't you?" Bobby asked Sam.

Sam took a swig of beer before nodding, "Yep, I am."

"Well since when did you all grow up and get married? And not to mention Dean who has not one but two children!" Bobby exclaimed. "Damnit, I'm getting old." Both Sam and Dean chuckled.

"I don't know how it happened, Bobby," Dean shrugged innocently.

"I guess we just grew up on you," Sam added.

"Well stop that! Though I really don't mind the grandchildren part," Bobby said back. Sam and Dean laughed again. This was their version of a heart to heart – well, a lighthearted heart to heart. Bobby took a sip of his beer before putting it down.

"Congratulations, Sammy. After everything you've been through, you deserve this. The both of you. You know, Dean, sometimes I'm hoping that one day you'll give up all this hunting nonsense and at least try to get out of the life. You have two kids and a great wife. Don't you ever take that for granted," Bobby ordered.

"Bobby, you okay?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine," Bobby replied, drinking more of his beer and avoiding what was obviously bothering him. Bobby had been thinking about the life he could've had and he had been thinking a lot about Karen lately. He didn't know why, but he couldn't get it all off of his mind.

* * *

><p>Dean closed the front door to his house behind him and walked inside.<p>

"Daddy!" Jude cried, seeing him and jumping into his father's arms.

"Hey, buddy! What're you up to?" Dean asked, picking his son up and holding him.

"Daddy, Mama looks really pretty," Jude smiled, mischievously.

"Your mama always looks really pretty, buddy," Dean said.

"No! Mama looks really pretty. Come here," Jude said, struggling in Dean's arms. Dean put Jude on the floor which sent Jude running to the dining room. Dean followed him in and was surprised to see Meredith standing in the middle of the room, in a slim fitting dress of 2 different tones of purple. She looked absolutely stunning and it took Dean's breath away. Her hair was pulled up in a half up, half down up-do and she wore nice peep toe black pumps, and silver dangly earrings.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Hi," Dean said, shocked.

"Hi," I replied, trying to contain my wide grin.

"You look amazing," Dean said, trying to snap himself back into reality.

"Thanks. Why don't you come join us?" I asked, as I finished lighting the final candle on the dining room table. On the table, there were two long candlesticks in their holders. It added a nice touch to our dinner.

"Is there something we're celebrating that I don't know about?" Dean asked, still in shock.

I shook my head, giggling a little at Dean's awestruck reaction, "Nope. I just thought I'd do something nice for you. Since we don't really have time to go on dates anymore, I figured we could have our own… with our children too but, I don't know. It seemed like a good idea when I thought of it."

"No, no! It is. Thank you," Dean said.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm your wife and I love you. So come to dinner, okay and stop making me wait," I ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean smirked. He pulled me in for one kiss before pulling away. "Have I ever told you how hot you are when you're bossy?"

I giggled, "Maybe a couple of times." I led Dean to the table and sat down next to where Jude was sitting. His chair was right across from mine and John sat in his high chair right next to me. I had cut up apple slices into tiny little pieces for him to eat. I had fed him before Dean had come home so that we wouldn't have to worry about feeding him now.

Dinner was great and Dean seemed very happy about the surprise that I threw him. We put John and Jude to bed before getting in our own bed. I had just come from the bathroom from washing my hands when I got into bed with Dean. Dean lay there in just his boxers while I wore a lacy camisole and matching underwear. Dean smirked.

"What?" I asked, giggling a little.

"Nothing. You just look so sexy in this," he said, looking me over.

"Well, thanks… I guess?" I replied.

"Oh, it's definitely a compliment," he replied. I giggled as I curled up to Dean.

"Jesus, you're feet are so cold!" Dean exclaimed.

"Warm me up?" I requested, cutely. He chuckled and places his feet over mine as we lay tangled together. He had an arm around my shoulders and I had my arm over his waist, our bare skin making contact. I could feel his warmth and I just felt so unstoppable.

"You know, this is what heaven is going to be like," Dean started. I laughed. "What?"

"You are so cheesy," I groaned.

"No, I'm serious, Mer," Dean started. I looked up at him. "You remember that time Sam and I died?"

"Which time?" I asked, slightly jokingly. I hated that I even had to ask that question.

"The time those hunters shot me and Sammy in our motel room," Dean answered.

"Ah, that time," I said back.

"Well, when we went to heaven, you see, it played our best memories, but at the end, you get to live in your ideal world," Dean replied.

"So what was your heaven like?" I asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"No, not at all. Actually, uh, well there was the first time you and I kissed, the first time we had sex, fireworks with Sammy in '96, the night we got back together, our wedding… and mom, actually," Dean replied.

"And how was that? The mom part, at least," I asked.

"It was crazy. I felt like I was four again," Dean said back.

"I see," I said back.

"But this is what my heaven would be like. I'd have you and the boys… and we'd just be a family," Dean said.

I smiled, "That's my heaven too."

"You know, they say that 'soul mates' get to share heaven together," Dean started.

"Hm… do you think we'd get to share heaven?" I asked.

"I'd like to think so… although I think calling us soul mates is really cheesy," Dean commented.

I laughed, "So cheesy! Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean asked back.

"Do you think your parents, if they were here now, do you think they would've been okay with the lives that we have now? Do you think they would've liked me? And the boys?" I asked, curiously. I was drowning in Dean as I started to fall deeper into a slumber.

"Well, we all know my dad loved you, but I definitely think Mom would've loved you. She was so brave. She had a good heart… I think Mom would've wanted us to quit a long time ago, especially now that we have the kids. I think they'd love you even just for giving them grandchildren!" Dean said.

"I'd like to think my dad would finally be okay with you," I said.

Dean groaned, "Ugh, don't remind me of your father. He hated me!"

"He did not hate you! You just reminded him of himself and he was afraid that you'd hurt me," I reminded him.

"This is true… but still. I never thought he really liked me. Except for the part where I left you. H eliked that I listened to him," Dean said.

It was my turn to groan now: "He was a bit of a control freak, huh?"

"A bit?" Dean teased.

"Alright, a lot! But Mom definitely would've loved you. You make me happy so by default she'd love you. It's not only that, but I think she would've appreciated that silly sense of humor you have," I teased.

"Hey, you love it," Dean bragged.

I giggled, "I do. I love you, Dean. I really do."

"Good, because I love you back, Meredith," Dean answered. Those were the last words I heard before I fell asleep.

_"You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be..."_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Meredith's dress in this chapter is posted on my profile and all of the dresses for Sawyer's wedding will be posted as well (once the chapter is posted). Thanks for reading!


	25. The Luckiest

**Author's Note:** The anecdote at the wedding that Meredith tells is taken from Diary of a Hunter chapters 24 and 26. By the way, the dresses for the wedding have been posted on my profile page. Let me know what you think of them! I also posted Meredith's wedding dress down under the "For the First Time" section, just in case you hadn't seen it before. Let me know what you think! The song in this chapter is "The Luckiest" by Ben Folds. **PLEASE **listen to it as you read this chapter. It will really set the mood and you'll have the lyrics woven into the chapter. Happy reading!

* * *

><p>"<em>I don't get many things right the first time. In fact, I am told that a lot…"<em>

I continued to decorate the arch that would be Sam and Sawyer's alter with flowers. It hung between two trees, overlooking the Sioux Falls River. We had rented some fold out chairs from the park center and Ethan and Molly were beginning to finish setting up the chairs. Dean and I had agreed that he'd wait at home for the kids to wake up and that I'd go set up early this morning until he could drop the kids off at Andrea's. I reached into my basket and pulled out another flower.

"Look at this view," I heard a voice say. I smiled as soon as I recognized it was Dean.

"I know, it's beautiful isn't it?" I asked, staring out at the steady flowing river.

"That's not what I was talking about," Dean said, snaking his arms around my waist. I turned around and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a slow, romantic kiss.

"How are the kids? They were good for you?" I asked.

"Yeah. John woke up and was fussin' a little bit but I got him to calm down once I gave him breakfast. He loves those apples that you always give him!" Dean exclaimed.

"Yeah, he does. How's Jude?" I asked.

"Jude was fine. He's excited for Sammy today," Dean replied.

I smiled, "Aren't we all?"

"Yeah. You know, I think I may actually like this wedding. My brother's finally getting married and uh… the minister's pretty hot," Dean smirked.

I giggled, throwing my head back, "Hm, well if you're lucky, you may end up with the minister at the end of the night. That is if you sleep with the clergy."

"Usually I don't, but I'll make an exception just this once," Dean replied, pulling me in for another kiss.

"Hey, knock it off with the PDA you two! We still have a lot of work to do!" Ethan called out to us. Dean and I pulled away and exchanged laughter.

"Help me hang these flowers?" I asked.

"Uh… is there a manlier job I can do?" Dean whined.

"No. Now come help me with this," I replied. Dean groaned but still helped me with the flowers.

After we finished setting up, Dean and Ethan went to Sam and Sawyer's apartment to get ready with Sam while Molly and I went over to my house, where we had been keeping Sawyer's dress away from Sam. Sawyer was already over there and had been getting ready since she woke up. Dean was going to go get the kids from Andrea's and bring them to the wedding. They'd get to get dressed with, as Jude liked to put it, 'the big boys'.

"_Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls brought me here. And where was I before the day I saw your lovely face? Now I see it every day…" _

"Hey, Molly, can you help me with my dress?" Sawyer asked called from my bedroom. She stood in front of the full length mirror, looking at the image of a bride before her.

"Can you finish up?" Molly asked, taking the curling iron out of my hair. Molly was finished with her makeup and hair and so she was doing my hair next. Both of us were dressed and Sawyer was the last one to be dressed.

"Yeah," I said back. Molly's hair was in an Audrey Hepburn-esque updo. I took the curling iron from her to finish up my hair. I only had a couple of pieces of hair left to do. Molly went from the bathroom to my room.

"Hey, you. How are you doing?" Molly asked, going into the bedroom.

"I'm good. Nervous, but good. Is it normal to be this nervous?" Sawyer asked, all giggly and smiley.

"Yes. Everyone's nervous before their wedding," Molly said. She helped Sawyer with all the clasps on her dress and finally she was done. Sawyer ran her hands over the dress to smooth it over.

"Wow, this is amazing, Molly. This dress fits perfectly," Sawyer smiled.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's really the least I could since I couldn't make you a dress in three days. A few alterations were nothing," Molly answered.

"Should I put my hair up or leave it down?" I asked, coming into the room.

"Down. Curls look great on you," Sawyer answered.

"Thanks. How are you holding up?" I asked.

"Good. It's uh… I'm getting married today. How crazy is that?" she asked back.

"It's amazing," I replied.

She took a deep breath. I'm ready to do this. I mean, I'm nervous as hell but wow am I ready to do this," Sawyer replied.

"Wow, you really are ready," I said.

"Yeah, she's taking this a lot better than I did. I was freaking out. I knew I was ready but marriage was so scary," Molly added.

Sawyer chuckled, "It's all happening so fast but uh… it feels right, you know?"

"Yeah," I replied.

Molly nodded. After we were finished, we got into the comet and went off to the park. There were tents set up for us to wait in. The boys were already here. Molly waited with Sawyer in the tent and I went to relieve Dean of our hyper active kids.

"You really threw us a wedding, Dean. It's all beautiful here," Sam marveled.

"Oh Sammy, don't get all mushy on me," Dean said.

"It's my wedding day, Dean," Sam reminded.

"Right. Well, thank Meredith. It was her idea to go all out with the flowers and she, Molly, and Ethan were here setting up early in the morning. I came later though. Had to watch the kids, you know?" Dean said back.

Sam chuckled, "Understandable."

"But I hope you know that I wanted to be here bright and early," Dean said.

"Hey, didn't you tell me not get all mushy today?" Sam asked back, an amused look on his face.

"Eh shut up," Dean scowled. Sam just laughed again. "You ready Sammy?"

Sam nodded, "Yeah. Hey, in a couple of hours, we're both going to be married. You ever think that'd happen?"

"Nope. I definitely thought you'd get married first too," Dean answered.

Sam chuckled, "So did I. But it was worth the wait and all the time: Sawyer is."

"Oh come on, you big sap!" Dean laughed, hitting his brother playfully on the arm.

"Hey, you two. What're you up to?" I asked, walked towards Dean and Sam.

"Nothing much. Just brother talk," Dean answered, shrugging.

"Where are the boys?" I asked, curiously.

"Ethan's got 'em,' Dean answered. I looked over at Ethan, who was sitting on one of the fold out chairs. He was holding John in his arms while Jude sat next to him, swinging his legs back and forth, and talking to Ethan.

"Alright, well I should go relieve Ethan from at least one of them. Besides, the wedding is about to start soon," I said. "By the way, how are you holding up, Sam?"

"Surprisingly, great," Sam said back.

I smiled, "Good because Sawyer is the same way."

"Hey, babe. I'm going to go get John," I said to Dean.

"Mer, wait," Dean said. I gave him a quizzical look but he just pulled me in for a long kiss. I smiled, pulling away from him. "I love you, you know that?"

"I love you too," I answered, smiling. I looked back at him once as I walked away.

"Oh, I am so getting laid tonight," Dean smirked.

"I heard that!" I exclaimed, playfully glaring at Dean.

"It's so true though," Dean said to Sam, smirking. Sam just laughed and shook his head at his brother.

* * *

><p>"<em>And I know I am, I am, I am the luckiest…"<em>

"We have gathered here today to celebrate the union between Sam Winchester and Sawyer Ellenoree Summers," I announced, as soon as the wedding started. I looked from Sam to Sawyer and saw them exchanging happy, romantic, giddy glances with each other. They were so cute. The guests were made up of immediate family and friends and it didn't matter that it was small.

"I remember when Sawyer and Sam first met. They uh, well, Sawyer had accidentally walked in on something between Dean and I. Sorry about that, you guys," I started. The guests laughed and Sam and Sawyer exchanged a small laugh. "So she went back upstairs, most likely traumatized, to find Sam in the kitchen making breakfast. The two exchanged names and he made her breakfast. He gave her advice about being the new kid and all of that. See? They were already taking care of each other at day one."

"And I can remember the day that Sawyer and I talked about you, Sam. We were at the café and she asked me what I thought of you. Of course, I said that you were great, but Sawyer just kept going. I finally asked her, "Sawyer, do you like him?" She admitted to it but she thought you liked someone else. I kind of joked around with her and said you were too old for her." Sam laughed and Sawyer rolled her eyes playfully, giggling, as I continued to tell the embarrassing anecdote.

"And when you guys left, I asked her if she ever told you how she felt and she just said to me: "No. Wrong timing." Don't worry, you guys. Dean and I know all about bad timing. But this time, it's great timing. Yes, we all know that it's fast but it just seems so natural. The both of you have said that to me. In theory this wedding is fast and impulsive, but not to us. This marriage is real and honest and… very long overdue. So, after all of that, do you have the rings?"

"Here," Dean said, handing the rings to Sawyer and Sam.

"The bride and groom have written their own vows so if you'd like to share them now… go ahead," I said.

"Do you want to go first?" Sam asked.

"No, you go first," Sawyer blushed.

"Okay. Um," Sam said, clearing his throat. "Sawyer, Dean and I always had the assumption that I was going to get married first but as we can all see, he was. After losing Jessica, I honestly wasn't quite sure how to be in a relationship again but then I saw you at Meredith and Dean's wedding and I was just reminded of how easy it was to be with you. You were and are my best friend back when we were eleven-twelve. You and I knew things couldn't work out then, but I'm glad that they did now. We've waited to be together since we were twelve, but it was worth the wait. You are worth the wait, Sawyer. I love you and I promise to always love you. I know that the business that I'm in is ugly but I'm lucky enough to have something beautiful to come home to."

"Aw," I said, then covering my mouth. "Sorry, continue." Sam chuckled and slid the ring onto Sawyer's left ring finger. She gasped a little, looking down at the wedding band now accompanying her engagement ring.

"Sam, you take my breath away. You always talk about how lucky you are but I think I'm the lucky one. Sam, you love me and that's enough for me. And that's what makes me lucky. I wish that we hadn't had to wait this long, but you're right. It was worth the wait. You are worth the wait. Earlier last year, I shouldn't have wasted all that time with guys I knew weren't right for me but I did because you make me want to do crazy things, Sam Winchester, even if that means going out with guys that aren't meant for me to make you jealous or because I want to get you out of my system. Well, turns out that I never will get you out of my system, and I don't wanna. When I think about the future, I think about you. When good things happen to me, all I want is you there right beside me. It all comes back to Sam. It always has, always will. I love you too and I promise to always love you. I want to be there for you when you need me and even when you don't," Sawyer said. Sam just grinned back at her. She slid the ring onto his finger and the two of them exchanged a giddy, anxious laugh.

I had tears in my eyes but I was officiating this ceremony so I had to pull it together and finish up this ceremony so that they could be officially married. It was quite evident that they loved each other very much.

"Wow, guys that was beautiful. Well, by the powers vested in me by…" I started, chuckled. "One minute , I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride." Sam brought Sawyer in for a slow romantic kiss and when they pulled away, they were officially married. "Congratulations, you two."

"We did it, baby!" Sawyer squealed, over the moon about what had just happened.

"Yeah, we did," Sam replied. They kissed once more.

_"What if I'd been born fifty years before you in a house on a street where you lived? Maybe I'd be outside when you passed on your bike. Would I know? And in a wide sea of eyes, I see one pair that I recognize…"_

* * *

><p><em>"I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you…"<em>

"And now for the bride and groom's first dance," Andrea announced. The soft sounds of "The Luckiest by Ben Folds came on. Sawyer and Sam went out onto the dance floor, embraced in each others' arms as they dance together. They were so happy and in love together. It was good that they'd have a week back in LA together for their honeymoon. They needed that time to be alone together.

"I hope you dance with the clergy," I said to Dean.

"You're in luck because I do," Dean answered.

I smiled and he and I joined Sam and Sawyer, and Molly and Ethan out on the dance floor. "Those were _some_words today, Mer. I guess it was good that they went with the English teacher to do their ceremony."

I giggled, "Thanks, babe." I looked over and Andrea and Bobby were watching over Jude.

"Hey, do going to weddings ever make you think about ours?" Dean asked, out of the blue.

"Yeah, it does," I smiled.

"That was a long time ago. What almost five years?" Dean asked.

"Mhm," I said. I then giggled, remembering something. "And then the priest said that we could say words of our own and I freaked and you went all chick flick on me and gave this huge speech to all of our friends and family about how much you loved me."

"Woah, it was our wedding day! I can afford to go all chick flick on you for that," Dean replied.

"I guess so," I teased.

"Hey, it got you into bed with me, alright?" Dean asked.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, hitting him playfully.

"What? It's true. And then you and I went on our honeymoon. Damn… that was not long enough. We only got three days. Sammy's getting a whole week with Sawyer!" Dean exclaimed.

I giggled, "Perhaps we'll go on our second honeymoon for a week, eventually. As of now, we have John and Jude to think about. Besides, it's not like we need planned alone time to stay in bed all day. We already do that on our own."

"Yeah, we do," Dean smirked.

"Speak of bed," I started. Dean shot me a questioning look. Instead of answering him, I took his hand and led him up the stairs at the café and into 'my bedroom' that the Walshes kept for me when I was in high school.

"Meredith Winchester, what are you up to?" Dean asked, smirking a little. I locked the door behind him before practically ripping off his suit jacket. "If I knew any better, I'd say you wanted it right here and now."

"Oh, I do," I said back.

"Meredith, I don't think I've ever seen this side of you, just jumping my bones like this! Our sons are out there so should we make this quick?" Dean asked.

I giggled, "Maybe but Andrea and Bobby are out there watching them. Just don't take like an hour."

"Fourty five minutes?" Dean propositioned.

"I was thinking more about fifteen-twenty maybe. People may start to wonder and uh, you and I can have all the hours we want once the kids are sleep tonight," I smirked.

"I can't argue with that," Dean answered giving in. He pinned me to the wall, kissing me roughly and passionately. I unbuttoned Dean's pants, pulling them down just enough, but not all the way off. Dean slid my underwear down and I let the fall to the floor, stepping out of them. Dean picked me up, against the wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist and I needed him so much that he almost effortlessly entered me. The two of us moaned out, loudly, at the new contact.

"Gotta be quiet, baby," Dean said, before smothering my mouth with kisses. He thrust quickly in and out of me and I moaned into his mouth in reply. Dean kissed my neck and chest and I breathlessly grabbed onto him, my hands moving from his back to his arms, to the back of his neck, and all over. Dean's hands stroked my thighs, keeping them tightly wrapped around his waist.

In no time, we were in a shower of sparks and were coming together.

"Oh, Dean!" I sighed in pleasure, trying so hard not to let myself scream.

"Mer… oh my God," Dean groaned. I buried my face in his chest and let out a loud moan. We rode out our orgasms together and breathed heavily, staring into each others' eyes. Finally, Dean buckled his pants back and set me down. The minute my two feet hit the floor, my knees buckled and I was falling. Almost instantly, Dean caught me and held tightly onto me.

I blushed. Dean made me weak in the knees and so did that sex. Instead of making fun of me for that, Dean just pushed me up against the wall and kissed me hard. I pulled away from the mind blowing kiss and just smiled at Dean. He smiled back at me. I slid my panties back on and the two of us straightened out before going back out to the wedding reception.

_"Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties and one day passed away in his sleep. And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days and passed away. I'm sorry. I know that's a strange way to tell you I know we belong…"_

"Hey, where have you two been? We're about to start cake," Molly asked, approaching Dean and I as we rejoined the reception.

"Oh, nowhere. We just took a walk," Dean said, scratching behind his head. "I'm going to go find Sammy. I'll be back." Dean left and I laughed, rolling my eyes playfully at his desperate exit.

"You two had sex, didn't you?" Molly asked.

I nodded, "Guilty."

"Oh, it's written all over your faces," Molly gloated.

"Oh no! Is it really that obvious?" I asked back.

"Yeah," Molly said, bursting into a fit of giggles. I laughed along with her. "Oh wow."

"What?" I asked.

"The baby. Wow, she's strong. Hey, maybe you'll teach her some of that hunting combat of yours. She'll know how to protect herself and be able to put this- ouch- all of this strength to good use," Molly said.

"Gladly," I replied.

Sawyer and Sam finally cut the cake and the reception was beginning to wind down. Sam and Sawyer were about to leave so others had left earlier.

"Sammy, you really did it. I wonder how Dad would take it to know that we were both married now," Dean started.

"You know, I'd actually like to think that Dad would've been happy for us. Huh. Weird, huh?" Sam asked.

Dean chuckled, "I think he would've been. He would've been proud of you, Sammy."

"Thanks. Look, I should get going, but uh, if you need anything or if anything comes up, you'll call, yeah?" Sam asked.

"Yeah of course. Sure. Don't worry about anything on your honeymoon, Sammy. And uh, have fun," Dean said, winking. Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, okay. I will," Sam replied. "Hi, you." Sam wrapped an arm around Sawyer's shoulders as she came over and joined the conversation.

"Good luck, Sawyer. He's all yours now. Just make sure he's back by nine," Dean teased.

"Of course," Sawyer chuckled.

"I'm officially a Winchester now. It feels pretty good. How come nobody told me it felt this good to be a Winchester?" Sawyer asked.

"Eh, we didn't want you to feel bad that you were missing out," Sam teased.

"How kind of you," she said, playfully sarcastic.

"Congratulations, you two!" I exclaimed, coming over to Sam, Sawyer, and Dean. "The boys wanted to say a couple of things to you. John is very happy for you and uh, Jude, why don't you go ahead, sweetie?"

"Uncle Sammy and Aunt Sawyer, I'm glad that you're married now. Just don't kiss a lot like Mama and Daddy do because it's gross," Jude said.

We all laughed at Jude's response.

"Yeah, your Mama and Daddy aren't really good about getting a room. I learned that one first handedly," Sawyer teased.

"Hey, we had a room! You just walked into it. Let me remind you," I said back. The two of us just laughed.

"I hope you love each other a lot too. Like my Mama and Daddy too," Jude continued.

"We will, kiddo. Don't you worry," Sam said back.

"Alright, Jude. Your uncle and aunt really need to get going. You should probably say goodbye, now," I reminded.

"Okay, bye. Have a fun trip," Jude said back.

"Thanks, buddy," Sam said back.

"Have a great trip, you two. Call if you need anything, which I highly doubt that you will," I said, hugging both Sam and Sawyer each.

"See you when we get back," Sawyer replied.

* * *

><p>I sat curled up with Dean on the couch as we had just finished a movie and had turned the TV off. We weren't much in the mood for moving so we just sat here, curled up together.<p>

"My girl was kind of dirty tonight," Dean brought up.

I gasped, playfully, "She was not!"

"She kind of was," Dean answered.

"Okay fine, maybe she was," I replied, giving in to Dean.

"If it helps, I liked it," Dean smirked.

I giggled, "Since when did we grow up and get married and have lots of babies? You know, sooner or later, Sam and Sawyer are going to have kids to and… it feels like just yesterday we were in high school or something."

Dean chuckled, "Yeah it does. I don't know. I guess we just did."

"I guess so," I answered.

"Hey, Mer?" Dean asked.

"Yeah?" I asked back.

"We've got a good think going here, don't we?" Dean asked.

I looked up at him, examining the expression on his face. He just seemed so happy and so at peace with everything right now that it was beautiful.

"Yeah, we do," I answered.

"I don't know. Sammy's speech got me thinking today," Dean started.

"Uh oh," I teased.

"I just never thought I'd have any of this. Frankly, I thought I'd die before I could have any of it," Dean sighed.

"Uh yeah. You reminded me of that on our… what, first date?" I reminded.

"Oh God. I was really angsty back then, huh?" Dean asked.

"Then? Try now," I teased.

"Hey!" Dean protested.

"I'm kidding, baby. You have a healthy level of angst," I said, leaning my head on his chest again. "I love you, Dean. I don't care if you're super angsty or a healthy level of angsty. I just love you."

"I love you too, Mer," he replied. I could hear the sounds in his chest as he let out a hearty laugh. Dean leaned down and kissed my forehead. I closed my eyes and wished that this would never end. This was prefect to me.  
><em><br>"That I know that I am, I am, I am the luckiest…"_


	26. Stick Around A While

**Author's Note:** We're doing a little bit of time jumping in this chapter. I hope it's okay! Sorry updates are so slow. I'm trying as best as I can.

* * *

><p>Shortly after Sam and Sawyer got back from LA from their honeymoon, Dean and Sam found another case in Dearborn, Michigan, and left for it. It was the first night that Dean had been away and I received a phone call from him later that night. He had called earlier to say goodnight to the kids and now we could just talk. I had the radio playing in the background when Dean called.<p>

"Hey, you," I smiled, answering the phone.

"Hey," Dean said back.

"How's the hunt going?" I asked, curiously, just making small talk.

"We think it's a ghost. Get this: A guy was hit by a car and died… on the tenth floor in his apartment. Weird, huh?" Dean asked back.

"Yeah, that is weird. I wonder what kind of ghost would do that," I said.

"Yeah, let's not talk about it, though, okay? I'm really not in the mood for hunting talk with you. Not that-, I mean, not because of you, just because you're my wife and I don't want to bring this stuff home to you, you know?" Dean answered, trying to explain himself.

I giggled, "I get it. Don't worry."

"Good," Dean chuckled.

"So what do you want to talk about then?" I asked.

"I don't know. The kids sound great," Dean replied.

"Ah, you enjoyed your talk with Jude, I assume," I smiled.

"Yeah. You know, he's turning four. How crazy is that?" Dean asked back.

"Almost as crazy as the fact that we've been married for almost five years," I answered.

"Oh my God. You're right. Five years in September. Huh… I guess we'll have to make it special then. Five years. That's got to be at least worth 'in bed all day'," Dean smirked.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Maybe. If you're lucky." Just then, the song on the radio changed to "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin. I giggled and smiled to myself.

"What?" Dean asked over the phone.

"I'm just listening to our local rock station and guess what came on?" I asked.

"What?" Dean asked back.

"Over the Hills and Far Away – Zep," I answered.

"Ah," Dean sounded.

"Our song," I reminded.

"Yeah, I know! So does that make us a super cheesy couple now that we have a song?" Dean asked back.

I giggled, "I think it does." I just listened to the words to the song and I couldn't help but think about Dean. My heart was swelling with so much love for him. I really did love him and I hated the fact that he had to go away so often. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of crying in the nursery. "Hey, Dean? John just woke up. I've got to go get him but I'll call you back when I finally get him back to sleep."

"No, it's alright. Go ahead and take care of John. It's getting late though. Don't worry about calling me back. You should sleep," Dean said.

"Look at you, taking care of me," I teased.

"Hey, I love my wife. What can I say?" Dean asked back.

"I see. Well, just in case you run into my husband, you'll tell him that I love him too, right?" I joked.

"Will do. Though he may get jealous that we had this talk on the phone," Dean answered, playing along.

"Hey, watch it, Winchester!" I said.

"Hey, you're a Winchester too," Dean reminded.

"You're right. I am a Winchester," I giggled.

Dean chuckled, "Alright, baby, I'll see you in a couple of days."

"You too. Bye," I replied, before hanging up the phone. I put my cell phone down onto the bed and went upstairs to get John. I picked him up out of his crib and rocked him gently. "Shhh, it's okay, baby. What's wrong, buddy? You just ate. I changed your diaper right before I put you down for bed a couple of minutes ago." John continued to cry. "Oh, you know your daddy's gone. Is that it? I see. You miss your daddy, huh?"

John buried his face into my chest as he stopped crying. He looked up at me and tried to wipe away his tears with his little hands. I sat down in the rocking chair in the room and just rocked back and forth in the chair, holding John in my arms.

"I know, I miss your daddy too, buddy," I said. "But he's going to have to do this sometimes, okay? He's going to have to go away sometimes because he and your Uncle Sam other people. They're heroes, really. Just remember that. And someday, you might be too, thought we both don't want you to become hunters. Heroes, maybe; hunters, no. Maybe you can be a fireman! Ooh, no, please don't do that! Way too dangerous!" I laughed at myself as I held the six month old baby in my arms.

* * *

><p>Dean finally returned home by the end of the week and seemed really closed off, the way he was when he came home from a tough hunt. I knew that his unwillingness to open up didn't come from his fear of not letting people in, but came from the fact that he didn't want to remember it and then he wanted to come home and leave all of that at the front door. I didn't push this time because I knew he didn't want to talk about it. It was hard for me not to ask, but I didn't. We were getting ready for bed now and the kids were asleep. Hopefully John wouldn't wake up until the morning. His dad was home and he immediately went back to his normal sleep patterns that allowed both Dean and I sleep as well.<p>

"Mer, can I talk to you?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked, coming over to where Dean was sitting on the bed. Dean sat on the edge of his side of the bed, still dressed. I, on the other hand, was dressed in some sweatpants and a camisole. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his right shoulder.

"I know that I've been kind of weird lately… but there's a reason," Dean started.

"Oh," I said back.

"I saw Jo," Dean finally admitted.

"What?" I asked, taken aback.

"She came back as a ghost… to kill me. She had to. It's… a long story. But I saw Jo. And… Sam and Jo were kids and I still hunted with them. She died and it was my fault, Mer," Dean said.

"No, it wasn't, Dean," I protested.

Dean sighed, "That's what she said too but I keep feeling like it is. I just, seeing her… I miss her."

I nodded, "I know you do. I do too. I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"I'm going to take a shower, if you don't mind," Dean said, getting up.

"Yeah, go ahead," I said back. I let Dean go and he closed the door after him. I heard the shower water come on and sob come from the bathroom. Dean was crying. God, I felt terrible. I didn't know what I could do for him. I planned on taking a shower tomorrow morning but I couldn't just sit here and listen to him cry. Dean and I knew that we could pretend we were normal, but we still carried around all of that baggage – especially Dean. Dean took it a lot harder that I did most days.

I quietly opened and closed the bathroom door before stripping of my clothes and sneaking into the shower with Dean. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he practically jumped at my touch. He unclasped my arms around him and turned around to face me. His eyes were red and he just looked so broken.

"I'm so sorry, Dean," I said.

"Thank you," Dean replied. "Thank you for everything you do for me. I couldn't ask for anything else."

I nodded and Dean just kissed me passionately, closing the gap between us and pressing his warm, naked body against. The shower water was warm and inviting as the two of us just stood there, kissing. I held Dean's face in my two hands, deepening the kiss. Dean backed my up against the wall, pressing me up against it. I gasped into the kiss but Dean pulled away, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Promise me that you won't do that. You can't leave me, Meredith. You can't die on me. You have to stay here with me and with Jude and John. You're not allowed to go," Dean said.

I nodded. I could tell that, along with losing his brother, losing me and his family was his biggest fear, "I promise."

* * *

><p>"Oh, Dean," I moaned out as Dean and I finally finished together. Dean moaned my name breathing heavily, kissing me once more, before collapsing on the bed next to me. I glanced over at the clock and saw that it was four in the morning. I groaned.<p>

"What?" Dean asked.

"It's four in the morning," I mumbled.

"Morning sex," Dean smirked. I nudged him playfully.

"It's weird that the baby woke up like this again. He's been sleeping so well and then tonight he just woke up. I don't get it," I sighed.

"Babe, things happen like this all the time. Jude would wake up in the middle of the night even after he started to sleep through the night," Dean reassured.

I chuckled, "You're right. If you don't mind, I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted and after all that… and the shower, and before we went to bed, I don't think I can take a round… four."

Dean smirked, "I wore you out, huh?"

"Being a mother, taking care of the house and our family, and sleeping with my extremely horny husband is quite a job, if you need reminding," I teased.

"I am still a horny teenager," Dean chuckled.

"Yes, you are," I replied. I closed my eyes and I knew that Dean was saying something else but I was out like a light bulb. I was in desperate need for some sleep!

I woke up the next morning and smelled something funny. It smelled like breakfast. It didn't smell like the house had burned to because Dean had turned on an oven which never ceased to amaze me. What was going on? Dean wasn't beside me in bed so I just assumed he was cooking. Huh. Funny…

"Mama!" Jude exclaimed, coming into my room and hopping up on my bed.

"Hey, baby. What're you doing here?" I asked.

"Daddy told me to come wake you up," Jude replied.

"Why? Is he on the verge of burning the house down?" I teased.

"No, Mommy. Just wait. Daddy said I had to stall you and that you had to stay in bed until he came up," Jude replied.

"What exactly is your Daddy up to?" I asked, suspiciously.

"I don't know!" Jude said, shrugging in the 'innocent' way that really meant that he was just playing dumb.

"Jude, why don't you and I go into the kitchen and-," I started, pulling the covers from me.

"Jude, you're supposed to keep her in bed, buddy! That was the plan!" Dean said, coming into the room with a tray of breakfast.

"I did, Daddy. See?" Jude asked. I pulled the covers back on me and looked at Dean, puzzled.

"Dean, what is all this?" I asked.

"I thought I would thank you for putting up with me all this time by making you breakfast in bed," Dean answered, setting the tray of breakfast foods on the bed. He had other plates too that he sat down. "Jude and I got to talking and decided that we'd serve you breakfast in bed and that the whole family could eat together in here."

I smiled, "That sounds great. Dean, I-."

"Hold that thought. Let me go get John," Dean said, excitedly, leaving the room and going to get John from his kitchen high chair that he had been sitting in. I was in awe at all of this. I really couldn't believe that Dean had made me breakfast in bed. Dean returned to the bedroom, setting John down on the bed right next to him and sitting on the opposite end, across from me. "Here we go." Jude crawled over to a space near me.

"Dean, what, why? I mean… shouldn't I be the one taking care of you?" I asked, still speechless.

Dean shrugged, "I love you."

"I love you too, but-," I started.

"No 'but's. Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold," Dean ordered, playfully.

I giggled, "Yes, sir."

Dean smirked, "Mmm, I love it when you call me sir." He wiggled his eyebrows provocatively and I just laughed. "Look, you're always taking care of me. I figured it was about time that I took care of you."

"I see," I said, still at loss as to what to say.

"Daddy loves you, Mama," Jude replied. "That's why. He loves you so he wants to make you breakfast in bed." And that's when I got it. Jude was right. It was plain and simple. He loved me.

"I love you too, Dean," I said back.

* * *

><p>Dean and I had stopped at a CD and record store on our way to Sam and Sawyer's. Dean wanted some new record and I figured why not. Dean was just looking around and since I was done, I figured I'd have a little fun sneaking up on Dean. I wrapped my arms around Dean's waist, my right hand snaking underneath Dean's shirt and onto his sculpted abdomen.<p>

"Wow, we're really a touchy couple, huh?" I asked, giggling a little.

"What? You're going to make fun of me because I can't keep my hands off of you?" Dean asked back, turning around.

"No! I'm making fun of us," I reminded.

"Well, after last night in the shower, and then after that, and then this morning… how could I keep my hands to myself?" Dean smirked.

"You do have a point but we're going to have to stop because we're in public," I reminded.

"But you started it!" Dean protested.

I giggled, "Oh, well."

"You are such a tease," Dean accused.

"Babe, I find it amusing that you're even surprised," I said back.

Dean smirked and pulled me in for a long, seductive, teasing kiss, "What do you say we go back to the car and-."

"Uh uh. You said we'd pick up the record you wanted and then we'd go over to Sam and Sawyer's. We're teaching Sawyer how to defend herself. Sam's getting really paranoid about leaving her alone now that they're married," I said.

"They can wait," Dean said playfully.

"Dean!" I squealed, as he tickled my sides. I took his hands off of me and held them in mine. "Come on. Please, Dean. We've got to go!"

"Alright, alright. But you owe me," Dean said.

"Alright fine. I owe you," I said, giving in.

As soon as we got to Sam and Sawyer's, there were a couple of guns and knives laid out on the living room coffee table. Dean and Sam were debating over which ones would be easiest to use while I was setting up some stuff for Jude and John to play with, in the other room. I gasped as soon as I saw the specific gun on the coffee table.

"Oh my God, you're using her?" I asked, picking up one of my favorite rifles of Dean's. "Oh yeah." Holding this gun always felt so right.

"Her?" Sawyer asked, raising an eyebrow. I cocked the gun and held it in place. I held it up and aimed it right at the wall perfectly. It would've been a perfect shot if it had been loaded.

"Nice," I mumbled to myself.

"Mm," Dean smirked, seeing the image of me with the gun. It was Dean's favorite too. That's why I never got to use it. "You look so hot." I chuckled and put the gun down.

"Alright, so what exactly are we helping you with?" I asked, standing next to Dean. Dean slid an arm around my waist, holding me close to him as Sam and Sawyer sat down on the couch.

"Well, my plan was to teach you how to use everything… you know, the general things just so you know how to protect yourself," Sam said.

"You guys, Dad taught me a long time ago," Sawyer reminded.

"Yeah, keywords: a long time ago. Sawyer, you should probably just listen to Sam. Look, I'll take her out to the shooting rings tomorrow," I suggested.

"Mm, I'd like to see that," Dean smirked.

"Hey," I giggled, nudging him playfully.

"That sounds great! Look, babe, I know it's annoying, but I just want to make sure that you're okay when I go," Sam said.

Sawyer nodded, "No, I get it." She smiled at him and he smiled back.

"Actually, we wanted to talk to you about something," Sam started.

"Okay. Should we sit down for this?" I asked.

"No! We just uh… we just got married and it's been an adjustment. I don't know how good being out on the road is helping with the whole transition," Sam started.

"But we wanted to talk to you guys about it first," Sawyer added.

"How would you feel if we took a little break from hunting, Dean? We were out a lot last year and… I think Sawyer and I need the time to get adjusted to married life. And you need to be here with your family, Dean! It's kind of a win-win situation," Sam explained.

Dean and I exchanged glances.

"You know, it doesn't sound like such a bad idea," Dean said.

"I'm all in favor of it. It means you get to be home more," I said back to Dean.

"Why not?" Dean asked back.

Sam nodded, "Okay then. I guess, we're sticking around for a little while."


	27. When It Was Us Against the World

**August 26, 2012**

"What're we up to today?" Dean asked me.

"We?" I asked back.

"Yeah," Dean shrugged. "I don't have to be at the garage today and I figured we could do something. You know: You, me, Jude, and John."

"Ah. Well that sounds lovely. I was actually thinking about going to the park. You could start teaching Jude how to throw around a ball. I think I've got some of those softer baseballs in the closet… John and I will just sit and play in the sand or something," I replied, smiling at Dean's idea of family day. He had brought it up. I was just elaborating!

"That sounds great. We can go early before it gets too hot outside," Dean added.

"Okay. Do you want to go now?" I asked.

"Sure," Dean replied.

"Okay, let's go then," I said back. Dean and I got the boys ready for the park and headed out. Dean threw around the soft baseball with Jude, trying to teach him how to throw and catch the ball. John sat in his stroller and I sat on a bench while the stroller was right next to me. He was sleepy so as of now, we were just people watching.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Nice, buddy! You've got it. Just keep your eye on the ball. Just like that," Dean smiled, proudly watching his son play catch with him.

"Daddy, you haven't gone away for a while," Jude started, throwing the ball back to his dad.

"Yeah. That's okay, right?" Dean questioned, nervously.

"Yeah. I like when you're home. When you go away Mama is sad and I don't want Mama to be sad. I get sad too," Jude replied.

Dean nodded, "I know and I'm sorry about that. I don't want you, John, or your mom to be sad anymore." He felt guilty every time he left but he wanted to protect his family. Besides, it wasn't the same. He and Sam were a team and they were better hunters when they were together. He couldn't leave Sam but at the same time, he knew that one day, this going away and leaving thing would have to end. It was evident that it was taking a toll on Jude. "It's just… sometimes we have to do things even though we don't want to."

"Why do you have to go if you don't want to?" Jude asked, curiously. Damn it. This kid had a point. Dean chuckled to himself. This kid was way too wise beyond his age.

"Well, there are some really bad guys out there that your uncle and I have to go and stop. I may not want to leave you guys but I do want to protect you and that's why I have to go," Dean replied.

"Thank you, Daddy. But someday, I can come too, right?" Dean asked.

"Maybe. When you get a lot older," Dean replied. There was no way in hell that Dean would drag his son along on a hunt at age four like his father did to him and Sam.

"So I can help someday?" Jude asked.

"Sure, if that's alright with your mom, of course," Dean reminded. He knew that Meredith felt different and would rather have them not hunting, if it wasn't necessary. It was such a hard topic. Dean felt so caught in between two different words: the one of hunting and the one of his family. It was hard.

"Do you have to go away again?" Jude asked again.

Dean shook his head, "You know what, buddy? Your Uncle Sammy and I are actually sticking around for a while. Sam just got married and needs some time with Sawyer and… I want to spend more time at home with you, John, and your mom."

"You are?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah. It sounds like you need me here anyways," Dean chuckled a little.

"Thank you, Daddy," Jude smiled, going over to Dean and wrapping his arms around Dean's legs. Dean smiled but couldn't help but feel bad that he wasn't around as often as he'd like to be.

"Hey, why don't we go catch up with your mom? See if John's awake. Maybe we could go over to the playground and play on the slides or something," Dean suggested.

"Okay. As long as you're staying, we can do anything you want to!" Jude exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. He took his dad's hand in his and the two walked back over to the bench that Meredith was sitting on that was located right next to the playground set.

"No, it's okay. You're a kid. Have fun," Dean encouraged.

"I still want to go on the slides though. Can we?" Jude asked.

"Of course," Dean answered. "Hey Jude?"

"Yes, Daddy?" Jude asked back.

"I just want you to know that me leaving has nothing to do with how much I love you, okay? I love you so much and I love your brother and your mom so much. Just because I have to go, doesn't mean I don't love you," Dean said, seriously.

Jude smiled, "I know you do, Daddy. I love you too."

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

I stopped reading my book as soon as I heard John crying, "Oh, no, baby. Don't cry! What's wrong? Are you hungry because we just fed you? We just changed your diaper… what could be wrong?" I took him out of his stroller and just held him. Seconds later, he stopped crying. He looked up at me as I cradled him in my arms and moved his hands to touch my face. I giggled as John touched my nose and then my cheek, smiling up at me. "You just want to be held, is that it? You're just in need of some lovin'. You're just like your daddy except that's a different kind of lovin' which you are not allowed to do for a very long time."

"Hi, Mommy," Jude said, coming over to me and sitting right over to the bench and hopping up on it, sitting right next to me. "Daddy, can I have a juice box?"

"Yeah, hi, Mommy," Dean said, following Jude. Dean kissed me quickly before getting out a juice box from the lunchbox that I brought.

"Hey, how was playing catch?" I asked, looking from Dean to Jude.

"It was so fun! Daddy is teaching me," Jude bragged, excitedly.

"He is? Well, your dad is a pretty good teacher," I said, looking over at Dean a little. He smirked and I just rolled my eyes playfully.

"Hey, Mer, Jude and I were going to play on the slides if-," Dean started.

"Hold on," I said, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. It was Ethan. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Oh my God, I'm so happy you picked up. Mer, Molly went into labor last night but it was at the stage where you don't have to worry or take her to the hospital yet. Well, we took her to the hospital early around four this morning. We didn't want to worry you or have you sit in a hospital forever or anything so we waited until the time go closer but… it's about time, Mer. Can you get to the hospital right now?" Ethan asked, explaining the whole situation as my jaw began to drop.

"Oh my God! Oh my God, are you serious?" I asked, trying not to jump up and down for joy.

"Yeah. As soon as possible would be great, Mer. Holy shit! I'm having a baby!" he exclaimed.

"Oh my God. Yeah, we're on our way now. Ethan, congratulations. This is so exciting!" I exclaimed back.

"Thanks. I'll see you there," he said back, before hanging up the phone.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"Molly's having her baby… like now," I replied.

"Oh my God," Dean said.

I nodded, "I know. They want us at the hospital as soon as possible."

"Hey, Jude, is it okay if we play on the slides tomorrow? Your Aunt Molly is having a baby right now," Dean asked.

"Yeah. Does that mean I have a cousin?" Jude asked.

"Sort of, kiddo. It means you'll have a new friend," I answered.

"I like friends," Jude smiled.

* * *

><p>Once Molly had had the baby and had time to recuperate, Dean and I were allowed to go in and see the happy couple with their new baby. Andrea had been in the delivery room with them and had fawned over her granddaughter enough that she watched over Jude and John for us as we went to meet the newest member of the Walsh family.<p>

"Well, you guys, this is the newest member of our family. Meet Renee Andrea Walsh," Molly said.

"Oh my God, she's beautiful, Molly," I gasped, as Molly cradled the tiny newborn baby in her arms.

"Isn't she? And to think for a moment back there during the delivery that I wanted to take it all back… it was so worth it," Molly smiled, looking down at her baby.

"Yeah, that's usually how it happens," I said back.

"She's beautiful, really," Dean said, holding my hand as he met the new baby.

"Thank you, Dean. And from you, that means a lot seeing as you don't really do the whole fawning over babies thing," Molly chuckled. We all laughed.

"Yeah, well, after you've had two of your own, you get a little bit softer. But don't tell anyone," Dean joked.

"I hope that she and John will like each other. If we all stay here, they'll get to go to school together and everything," Molly said. "I want that for them."

"Yeah, me too," I agreed. Just then, I saw Ethan talking to a doctor outside of the room. The other doctor seemed to be congratulating him before walking away. I watched as Ethan walked to lobby like waiting area and just sat down.

Dean could tell that I was watching Ethan so he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Go ahead."

I nodded, "Okay. Congrats, Molly. She's amazing."

"Thanks, Mer," Molly smiled. I went out of the hospital room while Dean stayed and sat down next Ethan on his bench.

"Hey, you," I said, happily.

"Hi," Ethan said, chuckling a little.

"What're you thinking about?" I asked.

He sighed, "I just had a baby. It's… amazing, the most wonderful thing in the world, and probably the scariest all at the same time."

I nodded, "It is, but you and Molly are going to be great parents. By the way, Renee Andrea is beautiful. Nice one on the name, by the way."

Ethan smiled, "I made that, by the way."

I giggled, "Nice work, buddy." I nudged him playfully.

"Hey, at least I'm not the only one having babies around here anymore. You and Molly are finally having your own family. I guess congratulation is in order," I said.

"Yeah. It's so strange. It used to all seem simple. It was just you and me, up against the world, working at the café and goofing off," Ethan reminisced.

"Was this before or after you started dating a cheerleader?" I teased.

"How about before or after you started dating Dean Winchester?" Ethan shot back, playfully.

"Touche," I laughed. "Hey, we still had good times. Do you remember the Thanksgiving of '95 and uh… Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach?"

Ethan laughed, "Hey, I had the moves back then. Still do!"

"Sure," I replied, unconvinced.

Ethan nodded slowly, "What about our first concert together?"

"Jimmy Eat World!" the both of us exclaimed, before starting to laugh again.

"You know, sooner or later, it's going to be our kids that are going to concerts and dancing to… whatever their day and age's Madonna is, and making mudpies, and working in mom's café. It's kind of mind numbing when I think about it," Ethan said.

"We're getting old, aren't we?" I teased.

Ethan chuckled, "Yeah, we are. We got old and married and had babies," Ethan said. I laughed too.

"But it feels good. You have a beautiful daughter now and I have two amazing sons. Who knew that the dream team would pull it off, huh?" I asked, nudging Ethan playfully. In high school it really had been us against the world. We were the dream team even when we had significant others.

"Hah, who knew that you'd actually end up marrying Dean Winchester? I can't wait to see what everyone says at the next high school reunion," Ethan started.

"Uh, what about you and Molly?" I asked.

"Point taken," Ethan replied.

I sighed, "Well you should get back in there before Dean scares your wife to death. Knowing him, he's telling her about all the stuff that babies can get into and how you have to baby proof your house. We've resorted to knives in the underwear drawer."

"Oh geez, we should get back in there," Ethan said.

"Come on," I said back.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Okay, what is up with fanfiction and our profiles? It's going to drive me crazy! Thanks for reading and sorry updates are slow. I'm trying to get at least one out a week. This one is pretty short but I hope that it was worth the wait.


	28. Kinda Like Superman

I walked outside with my plate of banana bread with tin foil wrapped over it. I stopped on the porch as soon as I saw Dean. He was standing on a stool so that he could reach the top of our porch and seemed to be installing something. His shirt rode up his abdomen, showing off his nicely toned abs.

"Mm, nice abs," I cat called, teasingly. Dean stopped and turned around to look at me. He looked me over and smirked.

"Nice everything," he said back. He got off of the stool and walked over to me, pulling me in for a sweet, playful kiss.

"What're you doing?" I asked.

"I'm installing a porch swing!" Dean replied.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, you always talked about how much you love porch swings. It came with the house and I figured it was probably about time that we finally used it. Don't worry, babe. I'll have Sam and I sit on it to make sure it doesn't break," Dean reassured.

I giggled, "I do love porch swings…"

"Exactly and now that I have nothing to do but fix cars, I figured I'd do some handy work around here," Dean shrugged.

"Well, I sure do love a handy man," I replied.

"Good because I'm quite handy, especially in the bedroom," Dean smirked. I giggled, before he pulled me into another kiss.

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" Dean and I both heard someone ask. Dean and I pulled apart to see Sawyer standing on the porch behind us.

"Uh, no. I actually have to take this to Molly and Ethan's. I figured I'd help out since the baby is so much work. Those two don't even know what they got themselves into. I made another thing of banana bread and it's on the stove. Sawyer, you're welcome to have some. I'll see you later, okay?" I asked, kissing Dean on the cheek. "Bye, Sawyer."

"Mer, wait, I've got to-… never mind actually," Sawyer said.

"We'll talk later," I reassured.

"Right," she mumbled to herself. I got in the car and left.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Damn it," Sawyer swore to herself under her breath. "Sorry, Dean. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Just installing this porch swing. How are you?" Dean asked back.

"Fine. Sorry, I shouldn't have come. I'll just go… I kind of needed to talk to Meredith about something but she's obviously not here. I'll just go…" Sawyer rambled, uncomfortably. She started to walk away but Dean stopped her.

"Wait," Dean said. Sawyer turned around. "I know Mer isn't here but… I'm willing to listen if you need to talk, I guess. Sammy does it for Meredith all the time and I figured why not."

"I don't know, Dean. It's kind of… girly stuff," Sawyer said, not quite sure whether she wanted to talk to Dean about this. Then again, here was someone offering to talk and honestly, she needed someone to listen and someone to help with what was going on with her.

Dean shrugged, "I'll get over it."

Sawyer sighed, "You sure?"

"I'm sure," Dean said back.

"Okay, fine," Sawyer said. She took in a deep breath, hoping that she'd have the courage to say the words that she had been wanting to say for quite some time now. She had said them over and over in her head but saying them aloud would just make things seem official now. She took another deep breath before finally blurting out, "I think I'm pregnant."

"What?" Dean asked, taken aback. "Way to a drop a bomb like that one!"

"Insensitive, Dean," Sawyer reminded.

"Right. Sorry. Okay, explain why you think you're pregnant," Dean said back.

"I'm late. There's not much of an explanation for being later otherwise… I don't know, Dean. Sam and I just got married at the end of June. It's September so it's only been… what three-ish months?" Sawyer asked back.

"Look, Molly just had a baby and Meredith has two kids… maybe you just have babies on your mind," Dean said, searching for an explanation.

Sawyer shook her head in defiance, "No, I don't think it's that. I can… feel it, Dean. I just know."

"Do you think he knows?" Dean asked, curiously.

"I don't know," Sawyer answered. There was a silence where Dean and Sawyer both were deciding what to do. "I don't know for sure yet though. I haven't taken a test or anything. I've just… I've been too scared to know."

Dean nodded slowly, processing everything. He was happy for Sam but knew that families were hard to take care of in this business. Not only would Dean be leaving a family behind when he went out on the road, but so would Sam. But Sawyer was his sister-in-law and he had to help her. He wanted to be happy but at the same time, he kept thinking about what would happen, "Alright, I'll go out and get a test if you stay here with John and Jude."

"Really? You'd do that?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied, simply. "Look, Sam was great to Meredith when she found out she was pregnant. He went to the doctor's with her and everything. I want to be here for you."

"Thank you, Dean," Sawyer smiled. She could really see why Meredith loved this man. She could tell that this was a side that most people didn't get to see of Dean. Meredith was lucky that she got to see it every day. "And Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean asked back.

"Can you keep this between you and I? Don't tell Sam or even Meredith at this moment. Not until we know actual details. I want to be the one to tell him… if I am, well, you know, pregnant," Sawyer said.

Dean nodded, "Yeah."

Dean went to the grocery store and found the aisle with all the pregnancy test. Dean looked around the store, overwhelmed by all the different brands and tests. He didn't know what to do! It was embarrassing enough that he was in the feminine hygiene section of the store. Dean pulled out his cell phone and called Sawyer. He had no idea what to do at this moment or which test to buy.

"Hello?" Sawyer asked, picking up the phone.

"Alright, Baby Mama, this is Black Hawk. I am in. I repeat, I am in," Dean said into his phone.

"What? How come you get to be Black Hawk?" Sawyer asked.

"Because you're my brother's baby mama," Dean said back in a 'well-duh' tone.

"Potential baby mama," Sawyer reminded.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm in," Dean said back.

"Dean, this isn't mission impossible," Sawyer laughed.

"Yeah it is! I can't even tell what to get. Why do they have so many different brands? And what the hell is an ovulation test?" Dean exclaimed. Sawyer continued to laugh. This was just too funny. Sawyer wished she could see Dean in the aisle of pregnancy tests.

"Um… just get one with a plus sign as a result. Those are the simplest and they work," Sawyer replied.

"Okay… let's see… here. I found one. Damn, these things are expensive," Dean said, picking up the test and walking towards the front of the store so that he could pay for the pregnancy test.

"Sorry, I'll play you back," Sawyer said back.

"No, don't worry about! I think aloud sometimes," Dean chuckled. He gave the pregnancy test to the cashier and the cashier rang it up, giving Dean a funny look. Dean gave the cashier a funny look back and just paid for it. Once Dean had the test in a bag, he walked out of the store. "Mission accomplished, Baby Mama. Over and out." He then hung up the phone and was on his way back to the house.

* * *

><p>"So… what's the verdict?" Dean asked as soon as Sawyer came out of the bathroom. Sawyer had take time to collect herself in the bathroom so that she wouldn't freak out when she told Dean.<p>

"It's, I was right. I'm pregnant," Sawyer said, nodding.

"Look, Sawyer, I know it seems scary but Sam will take the news well. He loves this kind of stuff. He loves you and the whole family apple pie idea. What do you have to be afraid of?" Dean asked.

"I know that… it's just… it's scary, you know? What if we screw up? What if he's always on hunts and never knows his father? I just, it's overwhelming," Sawyer confessed sighing.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I ran out on Meredith when she told me. Sam chased me down but I kept going. I came back because I loved her and because I wanted it and that was when I was dying because of the deal. This is a perfectly fine time. I mean, there are the leviathins, but Sam is okay now," Dean reasoned.

"Will you come with me to tell him?" Sawyer asked.

"Sure," Dean nodded.

"What if he freaks out?" Sawyer asked, panicking.

"He won't, but if he does, don't worry. I'll straighten him out," Dean replied, cracking his knuckles, jokingly.

Sawyer laughed, "Thanks, Dean. When should we tell him?"

"How about now? We'll go over right now. He's probably wondering where you are right now anyways," Dean replied.

"Okay, yeah. Let's do it now before I lose my courage," Sawyer said.

"You're going to be fine, Sawyer. I know it seems scary now, but if I can be a father, Sam will probably be ten times better. You guys will work it out. Meredith and I did. Somehow we ended up with a family. Don't be so hard on yourself. This is good news," Dean said back.

Sawyer took a deep breath, "You're right. It is. I… I'm going to have a baby with Sam. I want to be able to give Sam a family. This is good news!"

"See?" Dean asked.

Sawyer nodded, "Yeah, I do, actually."

Dean and Sawyer left once Meredith came home so that he could leave the kids with her. Meredith was about thirty minutes after Sawyer found out about the pregnancy so they went off. Sawyer wanted Sam to be the first to know and so they'd tell her later.

"Hey, I thought you went over Meredith's," Sam said, looking up from his laptop as soon as Sawyer came into the apartment. She left the door open for Dean.

"Yeah, I did," Sawyer replied, nervous about what she had to tell Sam. Dean came in through the door, standing behind Sawyer.

"Hey, Sammy," Dean said.

"Hi, what're you doing here?" Sam asked.

"What? I can't come visit my little brother on a Saturday?" Dean asked back.

"No. It's just… since when do you ever visit?" Sam asked back.

"I thought I would," Dean said back, shrugging.

"Actually, Dean was helping me with something. Listen, Sam, I need to tell you something," Sawyer said, glancing back at Dean nervously. Dean gave her a nod of encouragement.

"Should I be worried?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No. Well, maybe a little but… no," Sawyer replied.

"Okay, well, what is it?" Sam asked gently.

Sawyer sighed, "Sam, I've been thinking about it a lot and finally I just took a test after waiting and… I'm pregnant, Sam." There was a dead silence for, what seemed to Sawyer, a good hour, although it only lasted for a couple of minutes.

"You mean… I'm going to be a dad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Sawyer answered, meekly.

A grin spread across Sam's face as he got up and pulled Sawyer into his arms, "This is great, babe. We're going to be parents!"

"You're not mad?" Sawyer asked, relieved.

"Of course not! Why would I be mad?" Sam asked back, overjoyed with happiness that his wife was pregnant.

"I don't know… it's fast and- and you still have hunting- and… I don't know why I was even nervous in the first place. We're having a baby, Sam!" Sawyer exclaimed, finally being able to celebrate the moment and the good news.

"Well, yeah we still have a lot to talk about because of that stuff but right now it doesn't matter. Right now, we need to celebrate," Sam said. "Dean… you helped with all this?"

Dean nodded, "She needed someone to talk to about it and Meredith jetted off to Molly's so I just talked to her and bought her a test. No big deal." Dean shrugged.

"Thank you, Dean," Sam said back.

"No problem. I should get back to finishing that porch swing and Mer's home alone with the kids," Dean said, before excusing himself and letting Sam and Sawyer celebrate together. Dean felt pretty proud of himself for doing a very "Sammy-like" thing for his brother's wife.

* * *

><p>It was getting dark out and Dean had finally finished the porch swing. The next day, Dean had arranged for Sam and Sawyer to come over for dinner, where they told Mer and the boys that they were going to have a baby as well. The couple made their rounds that day to let everyone know the good news. Meredith was especially happy, since they were going to have a niece or nephew soon, which was exciting to her. Dean and Sam had tried out the porch swing and it seemed to be working fine. Dean sat down on it, just thinking about everything.<p>

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Hey, you," I said, coming out onto the porch, an ice, cold beer in my hand for Dean. I handed it to Dean and sat on the porch swing right next to him.

"Thanks, baby," Dean smiled, looking over at me.

"I should be the one thanking you, actually," I replied.

"Why's that?" Dean asked back.

"Sawyer told me what you did for her. Thank you for that," I said back, kissing Dean on the cheek. He took a sip of his beer.

"It was no big deal. She needed some help and I wanted to be there for her the way that Sammy was there for you when we found out that you were pregnant with Jude," Dean replied.

"No, really. You're kinda like superman... which is totally hot, by the way," I commented.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. I laughed and Dean pulled me in for a kiss. I kissed him back before pulling away because I wanted him to know how thankful I was for being there for Sawyer today.

I smiled, "Well it was really sweet of you. She said that she couldn't have done it without you."

"Huh," Dean chuckled.

"I like this porch swing," I said, changing the subject.

"It's nice, huh?" Dean asked back.

"Yeah. I feel like I could come out here with a nice glass of lemonade or something, and all of my problems would be solved," I giggled a little. Dean slid his arm around my shoulders and I scooted closer to him, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"I love you, Mer," he said.

"I love you too, Dean," I said back, smiling to myself. I had a wonderful husband and today proved that he was even more amazing that I thought he was.


	29. A Visit to Bobby's

I rinsed off a couple of plates before loading them into the dishwasher. I wiped my hands on a dish towel and gathered the papers that I was grading that were on the table.

"You'll be home right after school gets out, right?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. And do you know how creepy that sounds?"

"Way to make me sound like a pedophile!" Dean groaned. I laughed.

I shuffled my papers into one stack and put them into a folder so that I could have them organized when I got to school.

"Are you saying that you want to leave right in the afternoon?" I asked back.

"Well, yeah, if you don't mind. We just haven't seen Bobby in a while…" Dean trailed off.

"Yeah, I understand. And yes, I'd like to leave as soon as possible too. I miss him. We haven't seen him much ever since the fire… I can't believe the place is gone. There are so many memories there…" I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

"Yeah… but anyways, I looked at a map. We should be able to be there at least by ten tonight," Dean replied, quickly changing the subject.

I paused, "Dean, that's an eighteen hour drive. How is it that you're practically cutting the drive down to about a third of what it actually is and do I even want to know?"

"Chill, babe. I know back roads and shortcuts to get there. Besides, they're those back roads that have no speed limit. We'll be there in no time," Dean shrugged, simply.

"Do I need to remind you that our sons will be in the car this time and you can't drive like a reckless teenager like you normally do?" I asked, teasingly.

"I do not drive like a reckless teenager!" Dean protested.

I giggled, "Dean, you go like eighty in the forty-five zone. Now explain to me how that's not like driving like a reckless teenager."

Dean sighed, "Alright, fine. I still drive like a reckless teenager but I get us places. I promise. I'll be careful. There's nothing you need to worry about, baby."

"Good. I don't like having to worry about you. I do it too much," I said.

Dean wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him, "Yeah, you do. Jesus, woman. You say I worry too much?"

I giggled, "I've got to get going but I'll see you after school and then we can get going. I love you. Oh, and if the boys wake up, breakfast is in the kitchen and if John cries, just play him a little Led Zeppelin or something."

Dean chuckled, "Just like his Daddy."

I rolled my eyes playfully, "Yes. Just like his Daddy."

"I love you too," Dean said back, kissing me lightly. I kissed him back before gathering my stuff and heading out.

* * *

><p>It was good that I had had good classes today. They were more discussion oriented because I wasn't quite sure if I'd be able to contain myself if it had just been me up at the front of the class lecturing. I couldn't wait to get to Bobby's. I had really missed seeing Bobby every day, but ever since the leviathins had burnt the house down, Bobby had gone up to his old hunting friend Rufus' cabin. I was on the phone with him most days but actually seeing him again would be good. I could tell that the boys missed him too—especially Jude.<p>

The minute I got home, I practically threw some last minute things into my duffel bag and hopped into the impala with Dean, John, and Jude. I was taking off a couple of days, so if we left tonight, Wednesday night, then we'd have Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with Bobby before we had to leave Sunday morning to return to Sioux Falls.

Currently, I was in the Impala with my husband and two beautiful sons, on the way to see Bobby. Dean had the radio turned on and currently, an AC/DC song was playing, at low volume, on the radio. Dean had the windows rolled down and the not too cold breeze blew through my hair. It was a nice day and I was in a really good mood.

"Son?" Dean asked, glancing back in his rearview mirror to get a better look at Jude in his car seat.

"Yeah, Daddy?" Jude asked back.

"You know, one day this car will be yours," Dean answered.

"I like the Impala. She's pretty," Jude cooed.

"That's my boy!" Dean coaxed.

"Is this what you do with Uncle Sammy? You guys drive with good music?" Jude asked.

"Yes, we do, although your Uncle Sammy has bad taste in music. Sometimes he doesn't like this stuff. Pretty lame, right?" Dean asked.

"Yeah!" Jude exclaimed. I just laughed.

"You want to know something?" Dean asked. Jude nodded. "When your grandpa used to drag us along on hunting trips, we were always in the car or in a motel room so your Uncle Sam and I used to play pranks on each other. You know, like practical jokes."

"You did? Was it funny?" Jude asked back.

"Yes, it was very funny. Now don't get any ideas… yet. You'll have to wait until John is able to play jokes on you back," Dean advised.

"But we can still do it?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Dean!" I protested.

"What? Boys will be boys," Dean reasoned.

I laughed, "Oh my God, I can't believe you're telling Jude this! Jude, your Dad and his brother were very funny. Sometimes I got stuck in the middle of their prank wars and they made me choose sides. Trust me. That is the worst place to be in!"

"I mean, you always took my side, right babe?" Dean asked.

"Uh uh," I said back.

"What?" Dean exclaimed.

"Yeah. Summer of 1990 when you guys stayed for three days after the werewolf in Mississippi. I took Sam's side because you publicly humiliated him!" I reminded.

"Oh yeahhhhhhhhh," Dean said, smiling. "That was a good one, wasn't it?" In response, I just smacked Dean on the arm.

"Jude, don't listen to him," I said.

"Daddy is funny," Jude giggled.

"Yes he is," I agreed.

"Mama, what's it like to go one road trips with Daddy?" Jude asked.

"Hm, well, your father likes to sing a lot on these road trips. Just wait for a good song to come on. He'll sing for ya," I said back.

And in no time, a Bon Jovi song came on and sure enough, Dean was sing at the top of his lungs. Jude just laughed through the whole thing and even tried to sing along a little bit. I turned around in my seat to check on John. John, somehow, was fast asleep. He was like Dean in the way that he could sleep through anything.

The drive wasn't as long as I thought it would because it had been fun. Jude, Dean, and I had played a couple of games of "I spy." It was just great being able to spend all of that time together as a family. We made a couple of stops to feed John and to take bathroom breaks, but other than that, we were right on track. Right on time, we arrived at Bobby's. It was later at night so Jude clung to me as I held John in my arms. Dean was getting a couple more things from the trunk while Jude, John, and I waited on the front porch. We were going to wait to knock for when Dean joined us.

"I'm not afraid of the dark. It's just spooky here. But nowhere else. " Jude explained.

"I see," I replied. He yawned, covering his mouth.

"You tired, buddy?" I asked.

"Yeah. I wanted to stay up and play more "I Spy" with you and Daddy so I didn't fall asleep but now we're at Grandpa Bobby's so I can say hi and then go to sleep because we have so many days with Grandpa Bobby!" Jude exclaimed.

I smiled, "Yes, we do. And that's sounds like a very good idea, Jude. You need to get your rest. You have the whole weekend to spend with Grandpa. You even get to spend a whole night with him without me and your daddy."

"Why's that?" Jude asked.

"Well, your dad and I are going to take some time alone. I hope you're okay with that," I replied.

"For what?" Jude asked.

"Your dad and I are celebrating our five year anniversary this year," I explained.

"Like a birthday?" Jude asked.

I chuckled, "Kind of like a birthday. It means that your dad and I have been married for five years."

"Woah, that's a long time. It's only one year older than me!" Jude said.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Hey, buddy. You excited?" Dean asked Jude.

"Yeah!" Jude cheered. I looked down at John and he stirred in my arms, his eyes not opening yet, which was a relief. I was hoping I'd be able to set him down in his crib and he'd stay asleep so that I could talk to Bobby. Dean knocked on the door and the door was quickly opened by Bobby. He smiled as soon as he saw us and welcomed us in.

"Wow, Bobby, I like what you've done with the place," Dean said sarcastically.

"Hey, at least I straightened up because I knew you guys were coming, ya idgit!" Bobby exclaimed. Jude chuckled at the word idgit. He went over to Bobby and wrapped his arms around Bobby's legs.

"I missed you, Grandpa Bobby," Jude said, hugging Bobby.

"Come here, you," Bobby said, picking up his grandson. "Look at you! You're getting so big! How come your Mama and Daddy didn't tell me that you got so big since I last saw you?"

"Surprise?" I offered up.

"It's good to see you, Bobby," Dean said, hugging his father figure.

"Hey, I'm going to put John down for the night. Do you mind?" I asked.

"Of course not," Bobby said.

I nodded and then took John to a room that Bobby had set up for him. There was already a crib in there for the last time we visited and I put John down gently into the crib. John stirred and made a couple of fussy, gurgling sounds but beside that, he was still asleep. Good. I plugged in the baby monitor and took the other with me. I went back into the living room where I found Bobby, Dean, and Jude sitting down on the couches.

"Meredith, can I get you anything?" Bobby asked me.

"Oh, no. Sit down. I'm fine," I said back, walking over to the couches and sitting right next to Dean. Jude was on Dean's other side with his coloring book. I set the baby monitor down on the coffee table.

"So your husband here was just catching me up on all the hot gossip," Bobby said, ironically. I laughed as Bobby mentioned the phrase "hot gossip."

"Well, Ethan and Molly had their baby. They named her Renee Andrea and she's absolutely beautiful. Here… I've got a picture of her on my phone," I said, getting my phone out and getting the picture. I showed it to Bobby and watched his face light up.

"Wow, she's beautiful," Bobby said in awe.

I nodded and smiled, "Yeah, she is. They're starting to realize how much work babies are but I think they get how much it's worth it too."

"Hm. I remember the endless sleepless nights back at the house when you first had Jude. Kid, you wouldn't stop crying!" Bobby sighed.

"I cried like John did?" Jude flinched.

"All babies do," Dean comforted.

"What'd I tell you about not getting her pregnant, Dean? Did you listen to my rule about that? No," Bobby grumbled. Dean and I just exchanged glances and laughed. "Not that I'm complaining though since we're lucky enough with Jude and John."

"This is true," I said. "Oh, and I'm pretty sure they told you about this too, but speaking of pregnant, Sawyer and Sam…?"

"Yeah, they called. It actually took a couple of tires. I was out on a hunt when they called and they said they couldn't leave it on my answering machine so when I finally found the time, I gave them a call back. You can imagine the shock I got when they told me," Bobby said. "But it's great. It really is."

"Hey, how come Sam never got the 'don't get her pregnant' speech?" Dean asked. I laughed and Bobby just shook his head.

"Because I trusted him to control his urges a lot better than you, ya idgit!" Bobby replied.

"I can too control my urges," Dean protested.

"Sure, honey," I replied, unconvinced.

"I've missed you two," Bobby chuckled, watching Dean and I.

"Mama, can I go to bed now?" Jude asked.

"Sure, sweetie. Do you want me to come tuck you in?" I asked.

"No, I can just go. Thanks though," Jude replied, getting up. "Goodnight, Daddy. Goodnight, Mama. Goodnight, Grandpa Bobby." We all returned 'goodnights' and then Jude was off to bed as well.

"So how have you been holding up? How's everyone?" Bobby asked. I knew that he really meant it this time, now that we didn't have to sensor ourselves since Jude had gone to bed.

"We're all pretty good. Things are normal… for a change," I replied. "but we miss you."

"Yeah," Dean mumbled, scratching the back of his head. I knew that Dean wasn't going to say anything yet because he knew that was a longer talk that he and Bobby needed to have alone.

"How can you miss me already? We talk on the phone almost every day!" Bobby asked.

I chuckled, "It's a little different than seeing you every day, Bobby."

"A lot different," Dean said. I gave Dean's hand a tight squeeze and he looked over at me and smiled weakly. "Things are fine, Bobby. I've just been working at the garage a lot and taking care of the boys… it's crazy how quickly they're growing up."

"You're telling me! Now you know what it was like when you two got all grown up and got married and had children!" Bobby exclaimed, light heartedly.

I laughed, "I guess so. It just seems like Jude is learning something new every day and is speaking more and more."

"Oh that kid will talk your ear off if you let him. Must've gotten that from his mama," Dean said, teasingly.

"Hey," I giggled, nudging him playfully.

Bobby chuckled, "Mer, he's kind of right. I remember the first time you two met. Meredith wouldn't stop talking about you all day and all night. First she thought you seemed nice and then thought you thought you were 'too cool' but sooner or later, she started to think you were cute."

"Oh God," I groaned, shaking my head at my embarrassing childhood memories.

"You thought I was cute?" Dean smirked.

"Oh, don't feed his ego, please," I begged Bobby.

Bobby smiled, "Well, Dean, what about you? You always acted like a tough guy around her. Thought you were being cool. You remember that? I also remember you asking your dad for girl advice whenever you guys were here and believe me, I never once thought it was for "your friend." Crazy kids…"

"Hey, I was seven!" Dean protested.

"You know, everyone always said that we were practically in love, or at least in like with each other since we were seven… now that we're talking about it, it actually kinda sounds like everyone was right," I started.

"Oh, I've missed you two…" Bobby trailed off, a sad smiled on his face.

* * *

><p>"Mama, can I go play with John now? I can show him all my cars. We can share them," Jude asked me.<p>

"Of course, baby. I'll be in there in a minute if you want me to play too," I replied.

"Daddy is gonna come play now so you can later," Jude replied.

I chuckled, "Alright sounds good. I need to talk to your Grandpa Bobby anyways. I'm sure your Daddy would love to play cars with you though."

"What am I doing?" Dean asked, coming up behind me and kissing me on the cheek.

"Playing cars with John and Jude," I replied.

"Oh yeah! Come on, buddy. Let's leave these two alone. They're just going to talk about boring grown up stuff and that's no fun! We'll go play with your cars or maybe play a board game or something," Dean said.

"Okay!" Jude complied, eagerly. Once Jude and Dean were gone, I helped unpack some groceries in the kitchen, where Bobby sat, reading another hunting book.

"Hey, Bobby," I said.

"Hey. How was the farmers' market?" Bobby asked.

"It was great! Downtown Whitefish is really nice," I said back.

"I haven't had much time to go but I hear the farmers' market is nice," Bobby replied.

I shrugged, "I figured the boys would find it fun. We could just walk around. Get some sun, you know?"

"Yeah. Thanks for picking up groceries for me," Bobby said back.

"It's no problem," I replied. "Oh and thanks for watching the boys tomorrow night. Are you sure you're okay with it?"

"Don't be silly! Of course I am. I haven't seen these two in a while. I need some time to spend with my grand children. Besides, it's you and Dean's fifth year anniversary and you two deserve some alone time to celebrate. And knowing what kind of celebrating you two do, you should be as far away from any of us as possible," Bobby said, shuddering at those last words. I laughed a little.

"Um… awkward. But thanks again for watching the boys. It is our fifth year anniversary which is kind of crazy to think about. I mean… Dean… married for five years?" I asked.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Bobby agreed.


	30. Five Years

**Author's Note:**Warning! Mature scene ahead. Not too graphic…

What'd you guys think of this week's supernatural? I liked it actually. I also know how I'm writing it into this story… don't kill me but yes, we are in for some turbulence. I'm actually really excited to write this plotline. You shall see and be surprised!

So I know I definitely want to write a chapter on "Shut Up, Dr. Phil" because I'm a HUGE Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan . Look out for that one soon!

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><p>Saturday evening, Dean and I packed a bag for a cabin just a little farther north of Bobby's cabin in Whitefish. We were renting one out for the night to celebrate our fifth year of marriage which was a big one. Dean and I had just settled down and relaxed when we got here. I had just run out to pick up the Chinese takeout that we ordered and had returned to the cabin as soon as possible.<p>

"Hey," I said, walking through the door and setting the brown paper bag down on the table. The kitchen area was in the same room as the living room. It was a small, intimate cabin and that's what we had wanted.

"Oh thank God! I'm starving!" Dean sighed with relief. I giggled.

"Dean, you're always starving," I pointed out.

"So?" Dean asked back.

"Come on," I urged, nodding my head over to the table. Dean got up off of the couch and turned off the TV to come sit with me at the table. Dean and I had dinner and I opened up a bottle of wine. We just talked about normal things and enjoyed each others' company. We laughed a lot too. We were just about finished with dinner before we started talking about the more serious stuff. I refilled Dean's glass of wine as well as mine.

"So, a toast to five years," I said, holding up my glass.

"I'll drink to that," Dean replied, clinking his glass with mine.

I sighed, "I can't believe you talked me into marrying you when you were about to die."

"I know! What was I thinking? If Cas hadn't brought me back, I don't know what I would've done with myself if I had known… I would've never met Jude, you still would've been hurting-," Dean started.

"Yeah, but look at us now," I reminded him, cutting him off from all the negative stuff.

Dean nodded slowly, "You're right. We've been through a lot, huh?"

"Yes, we have. Okay on a lighter note, open up your fortune cookie!" I brought up, trying to lighten the mood.

Dean chuckled, "Alright, alright. He opened it up and read over the fortune, laughing to himself.

"What?" I asked, giving him an odd look.

Dean smirked, "The best is yet to come… in bed."

"It does not say that!" I protested, laughing.

"Oh come on, Mer. Haven't you done that before? You add 'in bed' at the end of every fortune and it works every time," Dean replied.

"I've never heard that," I said back.

"Huh, well mine will come true to night… if things go accordingly," Dean smirked, winking at me. I rolled my eyes playfully. "Come on. Open yours up. I'm determined to prove to you that the whole 'in bed' thing works every time."

"Fine," I said back, eager to prove him wrong. I opened up my own fortune cookie and read the fortune inside of it. "Expect new adventures and new partners to accompany you… in bed." I then laughed at the fortune. With a tone of sarcasm I then said, "How appropriate for our fifth year anniversary, Dean."

"Well… yours isn't true!" Dean argued.

I laughed at Dean's uncomfortable and minor jealousy, "Of course it's not, baby. They're just fortune cookies. Now, yours on the other mine come true… if things go accordingly."

"Nice," Dean smirked to himself.

"So Bobby seems to be…" I trailed off, searching for the right word to describe Bobby.

"He needs to come home, Mer. You and I both know that… just look at him!" Dean exclaimed.

I nodded, "Yeah, I know he does. I miss him a lot, too."

"I-, if he's worried about something following him, he can stay at our house! Our house is cloaked for God's sake with… frickin' angel magic! I don't get it," Dean grumbled.

"I know, babe, but you know how Bobby is. He doesn't really like to ask for help… he doesn't really like to accept help either. Do you want me to talk to him?" I asked.

"No, I'll do it," Dean answered.

"Okay," I said back.

"It's good wine," Dean said, changing the subject.

I took another sip of my wine, "Yeah, it is. Hey, since when are you into the whole wine thing?"

"I'm not. That's why it's good wine. I usually don't like wine but this stuff… it's pretty good," Dean explained how he arrived to his conclusion.

"I see. You're more of a whiskey kind of guy usually so you caught me off guard there," I teased.

Dean chuckled, "Yeah, well that handsome mailman of yours likes wine so… I figured I'd keep up with him so he knows that you're all mine."

I giggled, "Alright, you win."

"Oh, Jude wanted me to tell you that he and Andre have a play date soon. How's Taylor doing by the way?" Dean asked back.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that. That should be this weekend and I'm really hoping you'll still be home because I don't know how I would take care of three boys all by myself," I replied.

"I'll be around," Dean said.

"Oh good," I sighed with relief. "Taylor is good. He's a senior this year so he's not in my class anymore but he stops by to say hi every now and then. He asks about you sometimes. He wants to know when Coach Winchester is coming back."

Dean sighed, "I don't know… I think my coaching days are over for now. At least until we can sort out all of this hunting stuff. Try to figure out where it all fits in our lives with Sammy married and everything."

"That's too bad because… that coach thing was pretty hot," I said.

"Oh yeah?" Dean smirked. He nodded, thinking it over .

"Oh no," I groaned.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Ew, you're going to your coach-cheerleader kinky fantasy of yours," I replied.

"Any chance you bring a cheerleading outfit?" Dean asked.

"No!" I exclaimed, kicking him under the table.

"Ow!" Dean groaned. I laughed. "What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just uh…" I started, getting up out of my chair. "It's just I forgot my nonexistent cheerleader uniform this weekend but I did happen to bring something that would satisfy that lingerie fetish of yours." I stood right in front of Dean as he looked me up and Dean.

"You did…?" Dean asked.

"Mhm. You're just going to have to find it. But uh… I'll give you a clue… I'm already wearing it," I smirked. Dean stood up attempting to pull me into his arms but I ran away from him. Dean ran after me, wrapping his arms around me and bringing my body against his. I giggled. "Dean!"

"You are such a tease," Dean groaned, turning me around.

"You love it," I replied.

"Yeah, I do, actually," Dean replied, closing the gap between us and kissing me hungrily.

Dean pushed me up against the wall and continued to kiss me, slipping his hands under my shirt, caressing my waist and exploring my torso. I broke the kiss just long enough to strip off my shirt as Dean kissed me again, not wanting to waste any time. Dean and I stumbled into the bedroom, shedding our clothes as quickly as possible. Dean aggressively pushed me down onto the bed before climbing on top of me and kissing me again. He kissed down my neck to the lingerie. I wore a matching violet bra and panty set laced with black lace. I slipped my legs around Dean's waist and he grabbed my thighs, stroking them as he kissed back up to my lips. I flipped Dean over so that he was on the bottom and could get one good look at me in the lingerie that I had bought for him. His eyes roamed my body, lust filling them every second.

"Fuck," Dean groaned. "Just looking at you makes me hard."

"I can tell," I smirked, feeling Dean, hard against me.

Dean reached up to touch me but I intertwined my hand with his, leaning down to kiss him. His tongue slipped into my mouth, battling for dominance and I wouldn't let him win. Not yet. I let go of his hand and both of his hands when to my waist again, this time sinking lower. I unclipped my bra, sliding my arms through the straps and throwing it off the bed. Dean played with the hem of my panties before flipping me over and practically ripping them off.

"I can't wait to ravish you tonight," Dean moaned. I pushed down his boxers as he positioned himself on top of me and Dean kicked them off to the end of the bed. Dean held my hips down and I could feel him at my entrance.

I moaned, "Make love to me, Dean Winchester." Dean pushed into me and the both of us moaned at the contact. Dean and continued our love making, experimenting with pace. We'd go fast and hard and then slow and teasing, driving each other equally wild.

"God, I love you," Dean moaned out, close to his climax.

"Oh Dean," I gasped. "Dean!"

"Oh, Mer," Dean moaned. I came and he came seconds later than me – my orgasm bringing on his.

Dean and I lay still intertwined, breathless. Dean's hand, tangled in my hair brought me down for another kiss. I kissed him back. Wow, Dean I love this man. Finally, I rolled off of Dean. Dean, of course, turned on his side, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulled me against him, my back against the front of his body. He rested his head on my shoulder.

"You're incredible," I sighed. My body was practically humming.

"Yeah, I know. You're lucky," Dean teased.

I giggled, "You're right. I am lucky." Dean kissed my cheek and I just closed my eyes, enjoying the moment that we were in. "Hey, Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean asked back.

"I'm starving… what do you think about ice cream?" I proposed, rubbing his arms that were clasped so tightly around me.

"Ooh ice cream sounds like a great idea," Dean sighed, happily.

"Okay. Well, if you want me to get it, you're going to have to let me go," I said.

"Do I have to?" Dean asked back.

"Yes," I chuckled, but Dean wouldn't let me go. Would it help if I told you that you got to see me naked?"

"Maybe," Dean replied. I smiled before getting out of bed, naked. I picked up Dean's plaid flannel shirt and put it on, buttoning it up. "More nudity."

"You are so silly," I said, rolling my eyes playfully and walking into the kitchen. I got the ice cream and two spoons before returning to the bedroom.

"Mm, babe, you're a genius," Dean smiled as soon as he saw me. I climbed back onto the bed and set the ice cream between Dean and I. Dean still lay on the bed while I sat on it.

"Thanks, baby. I figured that since you're favorite flavor is chocolate and mine is strawberry, that if I just got the Neapolitan kind, it'd all work out for the best and you and I could get our favorites without having to buy two different ice cream cartons," I replied.

"It's a little bit selfish, don't you think?" Dean asked, a blissful smile on his face.

"What?" I asked him, shooting him a look.

"Being smart and sexy," Dean shrugged,

"You're such a cheeseball!" I exclaimed, giggling. I dipped my spoon into the ice cream and ate some.

"Oh come on, baby. You love it," Dean coaxed.

"Yeah, I do – especially when you're calling me with smart and sexy. Speaking of which, you seem to be finding me incredibly sexy lately," I pointed out, teasingly.

"I can't help myself. Besides, how else are we supposed to fill up that big house of ours with kids?" Dean asked.

I smiled, "Dean, now's not really a good time to be talking about babies… you guys are out on the road a lot and-."

"Well, not now. But later, you know? Once we settle down, if we ever get to, I was thinking you and I could have tons of sex, have a couple of kids… you know. The normal thing," Dean said. I laughed a little.

"I'd like that. I'd like to go back to normal. It feels kind of weird though, you know? We had a year of that and now… well, we're back where we started. And having a big family right now just seems kind of mind boggling," I sighed.

"Yeah, I know… I don't know I just keep thinking about when I was Jude's age and how I just wanted a mom and dad that held hands and took me to the park and stuff. I don't want to take that away from him. I want him to be able to have that… the family thing, you know?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "Yeah, and he can have that. Speaking of, actually, when do you and Sam have to get back on the road?"

"Soon… Sam and I were talking about October maybe," Dean answered.

"I see," I said.

"What?" Dean asked, after I didn't say anything for a while.

"I-, it's just that you're gone a lot, Dean. It's an adjustment after a year of normal and then a year of this… what does it mean for us? You know, you going away all the time. I know that Jude gets it but sometimes… I don't know, sometimes I wonder," I said.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"Well, our marriage. We're apart a lot. What does that mean for us?" I asked.

"Phone sex," Dean joked.

I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully, "Yes that too. I don't know. Things kind of feel impossible sometimes."

Dean sat up, holding my small hands in his big ones, "Today is a special day for us, Mer. We got married, I came back from hell today, four years ago and met Jude, and now we're celebrating our fifth year anniversary. Thinking about all of that means that anything's possible. We didn't know we were going to get to have any of this, Meredith. But we do. Let's just take it one day at time, okay?"

"Okay. You're right…" I said.

"I usually am," Dean shrugged.

"Alright mister smarty pants. Fine then," I teased. Dean just shook his head and laughed as he pulled me down back to the bed. We set the ice cream aside and Dean just held me. We talked for what felt like hours and we laughed.

"This has been a great day. Happy Anniversary baby," Dean smiled.

"Happy Anniversary, Dean. I love you," I said.

"I love you too," he said back.

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much, Bobby. We miss you so… don't be a stranger, okay?" I asked.<p>

"Of course," Bobby replied. I took the remaining baby items and put them in the car.

"Bye Grandpa Bobby. We miss you. Mama and Daddy, can we come visit Grandpa more?" Jude asked. I held Jude in my arms and gave him to Bobby to say goodbye to.

"If it's okay with them you're welcome to come visit me, Jude. Maybe some other time. Soon, I promise," Bobby replied.

"Bye, Grandpa," Jude said, hugging Bobby around the legs.

"Come on sweetie, let's get in the car," I urged Jude.

"Can we wait for John?" Jude asked. I nodded.

"Bye, buddy. I bet the next time I see you you'll be walking and talking. You two seem to be growing way too fast," Bobby said to John. He handed John back to me before I took him in my arms.

"Hey, I'll be in the car," I said to Dean.

"Okay," Dean said back. I took John and Jude to the car and got them all buckled in in their car seats. I then got around to the passenger seat and then sat down. Jude was talking away so I just listened and talked back to him.

"Bobby, it's been good seeing you," Dean said.

"You too. Say hi to Sammy for me and make sure to take care of that family of yours. You really got yourself something good, Dean," Bobby reminded.

"Who knew?" Dean asked back.

"No shit," Bobby replied. Dean didn't know how to say it so he just said it anyways.

"Come home, Bobby," Dean started.

"What?" Bobby asked.

"Come back to Sioux Falls. The boys miss you. We miss you. Meredith and I talked about it and you could stay at our house. It's cloaked and shit and… Sioux Falls is your home, Bobby. We need you here," Dean blurted out.

Bobby sighed, "I'm sorry, but I can't."

"Why not?" Dean demanded.

"I just can't, Dean. Sioux Falls isn't my home anymore. Here is," Bobby replied.

Dean scoffed, "Oh come on don't-."

"Dean, don't," Bobby warned. Dean could tel that the tone in Bobby's voice was serious so he backed off.

"Alright, well, I should get going. Thanks though. I'll uh… talking to you later… I guess," Dean replied.

"You too, " Bobby replied. Dean went back to the Impala and got into the car.

"Hey how'd it go?" I asked.

"Let's just go," Dean replied.

I sighed. I took that as a sign tha tit didn't go well at all. I had a feeling that this would be a bumpy year.


	31. Shut Up, Dr Phil

**Author's Note:** I LOVE SPIKE AND CORDELIA! Okay so they're not Spike and Cordelia here but I love Buffy so much (: Anyways, I'm thinking about writing a spin off to this story – a "Next generation" story once I finish this up. What do you think? Thanks!

Disclaimer: Some of the dialogue is taken from the actual episode. Thanks!

* * *

><p>"Okay, so explain to me what you and Sam found out?" I asked. We had split off to go investigate our new case in Prosperity, Indianna – Sam and Dean, then just me. I had wanted to go alone. It was weird getting back into hunting, but my students were on a short fall break in October which meant a long weekend for them. The kids were staying with Andrea and I figured I would come along on their first hunt back.<p>

"We went to the hair place that Wendy Goodson was offed and we found a coin. It was uh… you know, like the ones witches use," Dean said.

"Kinda like this one?" I asked, pulling out a coin out of my back pocket.

"Where'd you get that? Mer, throw that out! What if something-," Dean started.

"Babe, it's fine. I swiped it from the crime scene. Unfortunately, while you and Sam were researching, another man was killed at a construction site. I was driving around town and saw a commotion, went over, the guy, Dewey Stevens was dead. And get this: he was killed by an industrial nail gun that happened to operate without power. This definitely sounds like witches," I replied.

"Look at her, Dean. Why don't we bring her along on these more often?" Sam asked.

Dean chuckled, "Beats me, Sammy. Must be those children we have."

I giggled, "Yes, that does happen to keep me home. I will admit, I do miss it."

"Well, you're pretty damn good at it. That's for sure," Sam said, impressed.

"Thanks, Sam," I said modestly.

"Dad used to think so too," Dean added.

"Thanks, baby. Okay, so what else do you guys have?" I asked, changing the subject quickly.

Sam took a deep breath before informing, "I looked into all three of the victims and all of them were involved with this shopping center project that fell through."

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah. The only person left alive is the developer of it… Don Star," Sam replied.

"So you think this Don Stark guy is behind this?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. It's worth a short," Sam replied.

I nodded, "Let's go, then."

Dean, Sam, and I all went over in the Impala to Don's office. He met with us and led us into his office.

"Now Mr. Stark, you had a relationship with all three of the victims, correct?" Dean asked.

"Oh… I knew them in the business circles, I guess… sure," Don replied.

Just then, my cell phone beeped. I pulled it out and saw an e-mail from Bobby: "Sorry, I've got to take this." I smiled politely before leaving the room and standing outside of it. I opened up the e-mail from Bobby. I had taken a picture of the coin before shooting it with my gun to destroy it just in case. I knew Bobby would be able to figure it out, and he had.

Bobby had written something short, but it was efficient. Apparently it was some Romanian Cyrillic used in the 15th and 16th centuries. I was so focused on my phone that I hadn't realized that Sam had come out of the office.

"Meredith," Sam said. I practically jumped in surprise.

"Hi! Sorry… Bobby sent an e-mail about the coin," I replied.

"Yeah?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Romanian Cyrillic," I replied.

"Huh. Come on," Sam said.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm going to see if he has anything," Sam said. I nodded and followed him. Sam and I hurried up the stairs and into a room that looked like a bedroom. It was made up and clean. "I'll look here, you look over there."

"Okay," I replied. I went over the right side of the room and started looking everywhere I could. I looked under pillows, under the bed, everywhere just for something.

"I found something," Sam whispered. I looked up and saw the light on in the closet. I hurried to the closet and stood over Sam, kneeling down on the floor. "The box." Sam gestured and I looked into the box. There was a ton of stuff for some kind of witchcraft ritual along with strange symbols and material for other rituals.

"Huh, well looks like we found ourselves a witch," I noted.

"Yeah. Hey, let's get back before anyone notices," Sam said.

"Good call," I said back. The two of us hurried back downstairs to catch the end of Dean and Don's conversation.

"Like I said, success breeds fierce competition, but in the end, everyone here respects and admires me," Don said. Cocky much?

"Including your wife?" Sam asked. Dean, Don, and I all shot Sam a strange look. "Sorry, it's just uh, we heard that you two were splitting up."

"Yeah, that's uh, that's what we heard," Dean added, playing along. I nodded a little.

"Yes, well, Maggie and I are separating… temporarily. We just have a couple of issues – misunderstandings. Nothing we can't sort out. Just a marital misunderstanding, you know?" Don replied, uncomfortably.

"No, I'm sorry, I don't," Sam replied.

"It's one of those vague, hard to define passages," Don replied, evasively.

"She caught you cheating, huh? I couldn't help but notice that you're pretty damn cordial with your assistant. You're pretty good with the ladies, Mr. Stark. It's a gift and a curse, yeah?" Dean added. I rolled my eyes and laughed a little.

"Okay, look – it's true. I had somewhat of a thing with a business associate but it was long ago," Don replied.

"A thing?" I asked.

"Yes," Don answered.

"Mr. Stark, uh, most women don't see an affair as a thing. My wife would have my head on a plate if I did anything like that, wouldn't you honey?" Dean asked me.

"You bet your ass I would," I answered. Dean smirked.

"You two are married?" Don asked.

"Yeah, we uh… met in the field. It's a long story," I replied, avoiding the subject. This wasn't about us and I wasn't in the mood to make up a story about our pretend love as federal agents.

"Yes, and when Maggie found out, she needed some time off," Don said.

Dean nodded, "Let me just… take a shot in the dark here? Wendy Goodson ring a bell?"

"Look, she had nothing to do with the accident. The affair was over a long time ago," Don replied.

"If it was an accident," Dean added.

"Wait, you're not implying that Maggie is behind all of this, are you?" Don asked.

"No, we're not implying anything. We just ask that you be careful seeing as the victims have all had relationship to you and the project. And uh… maybe try to talk things over with your wife. Take her to dinner," Sam suggested, stepping in and taking the reins.

"And maybe grovel a little," Dean added.

"Flowers are good," I said. The conversation wrapped up quickly and then Don showed us out.

* * *

><p>We had just finished casting the spell to kill Don and Maggie but it didn't work. Maggie and Don started throwing us around a little until Dean and Sam finally stopped arguing on who was going to council them and Dean stepped in.<p>

"Look, obviously you two are capable of wiping each other out, right? But you haven't which means that you two, you two still value what you've got. And you want to keep that dance going. Maybe it's- maybe it's punishment. Maybe it's- it's sick, messed up, erotic, kinky, clamps and feathers kind of love," Dean started.

"Oh God," I groaned.

"Look, what he's trying to say is that whatever you two have- you're bonded," Sam chimed in.

"Are you out of your mind? He cheated on me, humiliated me!" Maggie raged.

"We're not saying what Don did was right but usually when relationships crack, both parties have a hand in it," Sam continued.

"Are you defending him?" Maggie exclaimed, throwing Sam against the wall with the wave of her hand.

"Woah! Uh, well, we uh, nobody can defend Don, right? You have a right to feel betrayed… because you were," Dean said.

"Oh, don't defend her," Dean scowled, throwing Dean down too with another flick of his arm.

"Woah, woah, woah," I said.

"I was betrayed by all of them. Carl introduced them. Dewey covered for you. Wendy did you!" Maggie continued.

"Look, I think that when Don says that he regrets the affair, he really does," I started.

"Oh stay out of it with you and your perfect marriage," Maggie said, throwing me down too. I landed right near Dean and leaned my head against his chest. He leaned his head against mine, the two of us breathing and trying to recover from the falls.

"You okay, baby?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I whispered back. We watched as the couple yelled at each other but the good thing was that they were working out their issues. Apparently the affairs dated back the Renaissance. Sooner or later, they made up and after being thrown around a little more, we left the house and went back to the motel room.

LINEBREAK

"Oh my God, I forgot how sore I got after these hunts," I groaned, collapsing on the bed.

"It has been a long day," Dean said.

"Mhm," I replied.

"It's not over yet," we heard a voice say. Sam, Dean, and I turned around to see a weird man standing in the motel room.

"Hi, Sam, Dean, Meredith," the man said.

"Do we know you?" Sam asked.

Instead of answering, the man just attacked. Dean pulled out his gun and shot at it but it didn't die. Suddenly, it was like it had been electrocuted and fell to the floor.

"What is that thing?" Don Stark asked. I was surprised that he was even here. What was he doing here.

"Thanks, we owe you," Dean answered.

"I don't know. Suppose we'll find out soon," Sam answered.

"I suggest you take whatever it is and throw it into a bottomless pit," Don said.

"What are you doing here? I mean, not that I'm complaining… thanks," I said.

"Just came by to get these," Don answered, fumbling under the mattress and pulling out two of the Romanian coins.

"Wait, we just saved your damn marriage and she was going to kill us? " Dean asked, disgusted.

"Well, you did try to kill her. You know how Maggie gets. Love her," Don replied. "But I've got to go. It's been nice doing business with you all. Ciao!"

"Now is it finally over?" I groaned.

"I think so, baby," Dean said.

"Good," I sighed.

"Hey, do you guys want me to pick up some food? I'm starving," Sam asked.

"Sure, that'd be great," Dean answered.

"Okay. I'll just start driving and call you when I get to some place," Sam said, before getting his stuff and leaving the motel room. Now it was just Dean and I.

"Mm, I can't wait to get out of this. I just want comfortable clothes. Heels, a pencil skirt and the blazer thing just isn't my favorite," I said, taking off my blazer and unzipping my skirt.

"Wait," Dean said, coming up behind me and stopping the removal of my clothing. "If it counts for anything, that's one of my favorite parts about hunting with you. You put on that sexy business woman outfit and… just damn, baby."

I giggled, "Dean, I need to change into something more comfortable… but thanks. I do happen to like seeing you in those monkey suits of yours."

"And by the way, if there's any kind of removal of clothing going on here, I want in," Dean smirked.

"Okay," I said, bit my lip. I pushed down my skirt and let it fall to the floor, leaving me in a white button down. I stepped backwards, falling back onto the bed and grabbing Dean's tie, pulling him down with me. Dean's hands worked at my buttons as he kissed me passionately. "We don't have long…"

"Sam just left," Dean reminded.

"But what if he-," I started.

"Shh," Dean chuckled, silencing me with his lips. I moaned into the kiss. "Hey, aren't you glad that we don't have problems like Maggie and Don? Our relationship seems almost simple compared to theres."

"Yeah… but we definitely have our own problems," I reminded.

"Yeah, but at least we'd never… I mean, we wouldn't right?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "I don't know about you but I obviously don't have a reason to stray." I ripped open Dean's shirt , revealing his very toned torso.

"Don't worry, baby. Neither do I," Dean said, a mischievous grin on his face. I smirked, recognizing that grin that I had come to love. It was great on him and I usually loved the things that it led to. Dean began to kiss down on my body and I knew where this would lead us…


	32. Team Work

Author's Note: I have a feeling that is going to be quite a long series...

* * *

><p>I knocked on the door and Molly opened it. Her hair was pulled into a pony tail that was only a little messy. Of course, she still looked perfect even when in the midst of motherhood. It was late afternoon and I had just wanted to come check up on Molly and Ethan to see how they were doing. I had to get back to the house soon but I knew that it would just be a quick visit.<p>

"Hey, Mer," she said. "Come in." Molly stepped to the side and let me in. I walked in and shut the door behind me.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen this place messy… except now," I said, looking around the Walshes apartment.

"Oh, don't rub it in," Ethan replied. Ethan was sitting on the couch with a bottle and Renee in his arms. Molly sat down next to him and I sat across from them on the other couch.

"Parenthood is quite time consuming, huh? I just came to check up on you guys. See how you're doing," I replied, shrugging a little.

"Yes it is!" Molly groaned. "How did you do it, Mer? Twice! I don't think I've slept for the past two months."

"Not that it's not worth it… it's just between the hospital and the baby, I've been living off of coffee," Ethan added.

"Yeah, I've barely been able to start any sketches because the minute I sit down she starts crying again," Molly sighed, exhausted. I could tell that the both had barely gotten any sleep.

I chuckled a little, "It's alright. In about a month you'll finally start getting sleep again. It's all about naps. The minute she's asleep, go take a power nap and then do the stuff you need to do. By the way, if you guys do ever need something, Dean and I are here to help," I offered up.

"Thanks, Mer," Ethan said back.

"Yeah, thanks. I think for now, we're good. Actually, do you think you could take Renee-," Molly started.

"Molly!" Ethan exclaimed.

"I'm kidding!" she replied.

I laughed, "Well, if you are serious then yes, we'd be able to babysit Renee sometime soon but today's not great. Andre is coming over to the house and he and Jude are having a play date/sleepover/whatever they're calling it these days. I'm a little bit nervous about having three children to take care of tonight."

"Don't you mean four children, including Dean?" Ethan teased.

"Mm, good point," I replied and we all laughed. "So how's everything else besides the baby?"

"Good. Work is… good… exhausting. I'm pretty much not sleeping but whenever I get time in passed out in the on call room," Ethan replied.

"Yeah, I've just been working on the new line for the spring. I think I'm going to have to fly out for fashion week by then. It's all kind of crazy at the moment," Molly added.

"Yeah, I feel you. Well, I better get going before Dean kills me. I don't know how he's handling three kids today either but then again, I guess it's good practice," I said, shrugging.

"Ooh, practice?" Ethan asked, like a dog whose ears had just perked up.

"Bow chicka bow wow," Molly teased.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "No, well, Dean and I have talked about having other kids… you know, just now isn't a great time and we don't even know if we'd be able to handle more kids now. John is barely eight months now and Dean's on hunts a lot. But in the future, maybe…"

"That's great, Mer," Molly smiled.

"It is. Alright, we'll leave you alone and let you get back to your kids," Ethan said.

I chuckled, "Alright, I'll see you. And if you do need any help, call me or something.

"We will, trust me," Ethan said back. I gathered up my stuff and left.

* * *

><p>"Mama!"Jude exclaimed, as I came in through the door. He jumped up and I caught him in my arms and hugged him.<p>

"Hi, baby. What're you doing all jumpy and stuff?" I asked, putting him down.

"Nothing, I just missed you. Andre, and Daddy, and I are playing tag in the backyard. Do you want to know a secret?" Jude asked, mischievously.

"Sure, what is it?" I asked. Jude motioned for me to bend down so I crouched down to his level and he whispered loudly in my ear.

"Every time Andre and I are it, we make Daddy it," he said, before cracking up into laughter.

"Oh no! I guess I'll have to go save your Daddy and come play, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. Or you can be on our side and tag Daddy every time you're it too!" Jude declared.

"Hm, I don't know. I don't really think we should all gang up on your dad, kiddo," I replied. Just then, Andre came through the back door followed by a panting Dean.

"Oh my God, these kids run fast!" Dean exclaimed, exasperated.

"Can we play hide and go seek next?" Andre asked. I looked at the exhausted Dean and knew that he needed a break.

"Oh that sounds like a great idea! Alright, how about you guys hide, and we'll count and then come find you," I proposed.

"One, two, three," I started as Jude and Andre dispersed throughout the house. I stopped counting once I knew that they were gone and went over to Dean, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him close to me. Dean held my hips and pulled me in for a soft kiss.

"How were Molly and Ethan?" Dean asked.

"Good. They're exhausted… looks like you are too. Those kids must've worn you out, huh? Now what do you think about filling up all these rooms with kids?" I teased.

"No more boys… I'm definitely ready for us to have a girl," Dean sighed, still catching his breath.

I giggled, "Nice plan, huh? We'll just tell them we counted really high so that they had enough time to hide. Look at you. You're exhausted!"

"Well, running around for what seemed like ten hours is tiring, Mer!" Dean exclaimed. I laughed. "Besides, every time either of them were it, they would tag me and then bolt. I was always 'it'!"

"Yeah, they told me about that. Jude even tried to get me to play and then be on their time and always tag you whenever I was 'it'." I replied.

Dean gasped, "That's our son for you."

I smiled, "Mhm. It was something you'd do when you were four."

"You're right," Dean said. He went over to the kitchen and filled up a glass of water from the tap and drank.

"Where's John?" I asked, curiously.

"I put him down for a nap before we started playing tag but he should be up any moment. I'll get him. Wow, kids are a lot of work," Dean said.

"And you're just noticing this now?" I asked back.

"No! But we never do this much. Who knew that four year olds had so much energy?" Dean exclaimed.

"Alright, I've got an idea. Why don't I give you a break? I already feel bad enough that I left you with them without any help. How about I go find them and I'll start on dinner? It'll keep them occupied for a while. Then we can play game or watch a movie or something," I proposed.

"Wow, you're like superwoman," Dean said.

I smiled, "Thanks, baby." I kissed Dean once more before yelling, "One hundred" and going to find the boys. I ran upstairs and looked in the bathroom. I opened the shower curtain to see Andre hiding in there. He laughed as soon as I found him. "Hey, let's go find Jude. Do you know where he is?"

"Yeah, I know where he is," Andre whispered back. Andre pointed to the guest room so Andre and I tiptoed over to the guest room. Andre then pointed to the bed so I got down and pulled the blankets from the bottom edge of the bed to find Jude hiding under the bed.

"I found you!" I called out.

"Oh no!" Jude groaned, crawling out from under the bed. "Again, again! Let's play again!"

"Hey, what if play another game later? I don't know about you guys but I am starving. Your Daddy and I are going to start on dinner so why don't you guys come help us with that?" I asked.

"What's for dinner, Mama?" Jude asked.

"I was thinking we could make a pizza for all of us to share," I replied.

"Can we put lots of veggies on it?" Jude asked.

I chuckled, "Sure but maybe we should only do it on half of the pizza since your daddy can't stand veggies. He's silly, isn't he?"

"Yeah," Jude replied.

"What do you like on your pizza, Andre?" I asked.

"Hm… I like cheese and pepperoni and only sometimes veggies," Andre replied.

"Okay, well it's sounds like we're going to be making a super pizza. How about this? We'll make two. We can make a cheese one and then one with lots of toppings," I proposed.

"That sounds good. And we can help too?" Jude asked.

"Of course," I said back. "Come on, guys, let's go!" Just then, the baby started crying and I stopped while Jude and Andre hurried down the stairs, unable to contain their endless energy.

"Don't worry, I've got him. Go ahead. I set out the stuff for the pizza," Dean said.

"Thank you, baby. You're the best, you know that?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean shrugged. I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully as Dean kissed me once.

"Oh hey, did you set out an veggies?" I asked.

"No, gross. Who likes veggies on their pizza?" Dean asked back.

"Um… me and Jude," I replied in a 'well-duh' tone.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that he got that quality from you…" Dean groaned.

"We're making two pizzas so don't worry," I replied.

"Mm, you're perfect, you know that?" Dean asked back.

"Oh, you know…" I said back, jokingly.

"Alright, I'm going to get the baby. I'll meet you down there in a second," Dean said.

"Great," I said back, as we went our separate ways to take care of the kids. It was so much easier with the two of us. We were like a team.

* * *

><p>I had rolled out the dough that we were using to make the pizza crust and had rolled them out to fit two long, rectangular baking pans. I brought them over to the table where Jude and Andre were drawing and coloring.<p>

"Alright, you guys. Here you go," I said, placing down the pans. I then went back and brought the bottle of pizza sauce over to the boys along with two spoons. "Go ahead. Just make sure to leave room for the crust, okay?"

"Okay, Mama. You can trust us," Jude smiled.

"Yeah, Mrs. Winchester, you can trust us!" Andre chimed in.

"Well thank you, Andre. And by the way, you can call me Meredith," I said to Andre .

"What about me?" Jude asked.

I chuckled, "You have to call me 'mom', sweetie."

"But why, Mommy?" Jude asked, curiously as he spread the pizza sauce all over the dough on his tray.

"Because I'm your mom, you silly goose!" I replied. "Wow, it's looking good, boys. You guys ready to put some toppings on?"

"Yeah!" Jude and Andre cheered. I brought over the cheese and then bowls of mixed veggies I had cut up and some pepperoni. Jude and Andre diligently sprinkled cheese over the pizzas and then scattered half of one with veggies, and then half of another with pepperoni, leaving the other halves just cheese. I tidied them up on then they were well on their way in the oven.

"So what do you want to do now?" I asked.

"Now can we play another game of hide and seek?" Andre asked.

"Hm… I don't know. We should probably stay in here and watch over the pizzas so that they don't burn," I said.

"You're right. We don't want them to burn," Andre nodded.

"Yeah… hey maybe you can come color with us. Mama, Andre made a card for you and Daddy. He wants to say thank you because he likes to stay at our house," Jude said.

"Shhh, I'm not finished yet. It's a secret," Andre hushed.

"It's okay. My mama can keep a secret," Jude bragged, proudly.

I laughed. Just then, Dean came down with the baby in his arms. He set John in his high chair and then sat in the chair right next to him: "Smells good in here."

"Well your son and his friend are very good cooks," I proclaimed.

"I see. I can't wait," Dean said. Dean got up and got a small spoon and some baby food that was in the fridge. "John just needed a diaper change but I think he's hungry too."

"Guess he knows it's dinner time already," I said back.

"You hungry, buddy? I bet you are. You're smart just like Jude and your mama. You already know it's dinner time, don't you? Don't you?" Dean cooed at the younger of his sons. I couldn't help but laugh. Dean was always so cute with our kids. John's face lit up and he laughed hysterically at his father.

"Da-da," John said, stirring in his high chair restlessly.

"Yeah, baby? I know, I'm getting your food. I got the good kind this time. No spinach or anything gross like that. Apple cinnamon all the way. Just don't tell your Mama," Dean whispered.

"Dean!" I exclaimed. It was okay that he was giving John the fruit kind because he always that kind and I had to practically force feed him the vegetable kind.

"Ma-ma," John imitated. John was kind of talking, just like Jude had been. He would imitate sounds and gurgle but he hadn't had real words yet. Just 'dada' and 'mama' but it was definitely a start. We hoped that his first actual words wouldn't be "bad demons" or anything like that. John reached out to touch Dean's face.

"I've got to feed you first, kiddo," Dean chuckled.

"Hey, Andre, are you almost done with your… surprise?" Jude asked, trying to keep the card a secret.

"Almost. I want to finish drawing John," Andre replied.

"Okay," Jude accepted.

Soon, the pizzas were done and I took them out of the oven. We needed to wait for them to cool off a little, but once they did, I cut them into squares and served them on plates to Jude, Andre, Dean, and I. I even cut up tiny pieces for John to potentially eat.

"Mmm, good job, you guys. This pizza is delicious! Good work," Dean said, high fiving Jude and Andre. Both boys seemed really satisfied that Dean approved. I knew that Jude practically idolized Dean. He wanted to be just like his daddy.

"Mhm. It's really delicious. Maybe you'll be a cook someday," I said.

"I don't know, maybe. I want to be an astronaut," Andre said back.

"Hm… I think I want to be a vet. I can take care of animals," Jude replied.

"Now wouldn't that be something?" I asked Dean.

"It would. Go for it, son," Dean encouraged. I smiled. Today was good.

* * *

><p>Later that night, I sat up with the baby and Dean entertained the boys. I had just put the baby down for the night, so I left the nightlight on and the door cracked. I slipped out of John's room to see Dean coming out of Jude's room.<p>

"How'd it go?" I asked.

"I could sleep for days," Dean replied. "What about you?"

I chuckled, "John is out for now. Yeah, I think I could sleep for days too."

"We built a fort out of some sheets. That's why I needed extra blankets. I think the boys are going to sleep on the floor tonight in their fort. I'll admit, it's a pretty cool fort," Dean smiled, proudly. I smiled and peeked into Jude's room to see the shadow of two figures in the fort made of sheets. They were laughing.

"Your mom and dad are awesome," I heard Andre say.

"Yeah, I like them a lot," Jude replied.

"Can I come over again? This was a lot of fun," Andre asked.

"Sure!" Jude smiled. "I want to be just like my daddy when I grow up."

"I want to be like my daddy too but your daddy is cool too. He played tag with us all afternoon. He's awesome. And your mom let us cook. That's awesome too," Andre said.

I chuckled, "I think they'll be good for the night. Let's head to bed."

"I'm right behind you," Dean said.

Dean and I got ready for bed and I got into bed before he did, just reading a book of mine. I needed to finish a section of the reading and then come up with discussion questions for my English class by Monday. Good thing I had another day to do it.

"Hi, super genius Mommy," Dean said, coming over to the bed. I looked up from my book and saw him just in his boxers and smirked.

"Hello, super sexy, half naked Daddy," I said.

Dean chuckled and climbed into bed with me: "We make a pretty good team, don't we?"

"I'd like to think so myself," I replied.

Dean smiled, "You know, I think we could do this. Once I settle down… we could do this, you know? We could have more kids, be a big family."

"I'd like that a lot," I said back.

"Me too. I love you, Mer," Dean said, kissing me on the forehead.

I nodded and smiled, "I love you too."


	33. Death's Door

**Author's Note: **I figured since most of this episode was in Bobby's head, that I'd write most of this chapter in Meredith's. Happy reading! Also, when would you like me to start the Supernatural next generation thing? I honestly can't wait to write it but should I start it after I finish this one? I know where this one is going but I don't know if I can wait long enough!

Some new AND old flashbacks for you :)

* * *

><p>Riiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!<p>

The ring of my cell phone kept getting louder and louder and I knew I needed to answer it. I had ignored it the first and second time but the third time someone was calling had to mean something. I glanced at the clock and groaned as soon as I saw it was four in the morning. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Dean. Oh no…

"Dean?" I asked, answering the phone.

"Yeah, hi," he said back.

"Baby, why are you calling?" I asked.

"I just uh… I really needed to hear your voice right now…" Dean trailed off before leaving us in a silence. Oh no. This couldn't be good.

"Dean, what's going on? Is everything okay?" I asked, nervously. I didn't want to push since I knew that Dean always took his time when delivering bad news.

"No, uh, no it's not," Dean replied.

"What happened Dean?" I asked, desperate for answers. I needed to know

"I… it's uh, it's Bobby. Dick Roman the leviathan shot him… in the head. He's not okay, Mer. I-, I don't know what to do," Dean confessed. I could tell that he was trying not to lose it. My heart sunk and I was afraid. Was Bobby going to make it out? What did Dean mean when he said Bobby wasn't okay? "We took him to the hospital and they uh, they said they couldn't do anything about it, Mer."

"Oh my God," I gasped, tears in my eyes. "Well, what did they say… where are you, Dean?"

"New Jersey," Dean answered.

"Dean," I whimpered, trying not to lose it. I wanted to be strong for Dean but it was hard to hold it in. "I'll uh, I'll get on a plane. I should come… I should be there, Dean. Is he- is he even awake or-?" I couldn't finish my sentence. I didn't even want to know.

"He's in a coma. Look, don't. I know you want to be here but you can't just drop everything. You have classes to teach tomorrow and-, well, Mer, what about the boys? Look, please don't say anything to them. I don't want to scare them," Dean replied.

I nodded. He was right. I couldn't just up and leave to New Jersey: "Yeah, okay. I-, is there anything I can do for you, Dean?"

"No. I just… knew I needed to let you know," Dean replied.

"Okay, yeah. I'll uh, call me later and be safe, Dean. I love you," I said.

"I love you too," Dean replied. I hung up the phone and my face fell into a look of grief. Bobby was going to die, wasn't he?

The moment I woke up, Dean's words from early this morning echoed in my head, haunting me. I couldn't get them out and it was driving me crazy. I took a deep breath and got out of bed, trying to push all of thoughts out of my head. Bobby was going to die. Bobby could be dead right now. But I had to respect Dean's wishes. He wanted to go along with our daily routine for the kids.

"Mama, thanks for breakfast," Jude smiled, hopping off of his chair and putting his little back pack on.

"No problem, baby," I said, trying to put on a brave face. I put the rest of the dishes in the sink and ran water over them. "You ready to go to Grandma's today?"

"Yeah. It's always fun. She always has us go upstairs and Jude and I play and then we come downstairs for lunch. Sometimes we sit in the café with Grandma too," Jude smiled.

"That's great, sweetie. Alright, let's go," I encouraged. I picked up the bag that had all of the boys' stuff in it and slung it over my shoulder. I hurried the boys out to the car and drove to the Falcon before school started. I couldn't help but think.

We had a family. Jude and John had a family. Andrea was our resident day care and that's what I used to have. When Dad dropped me off at Bobby's, I spent most of the time when I wasn't at school at the café. Andrea had done this for me when I was a kid and was now doing it for my children. She and Bobby were really my parents. Sure, my dad showed up every now and then but Bobby had really been my father. He had been there for me, talked to me when I needed a father, and been there when I needed avice…

**~Flashback~**

_"Okay, kiddo. Next word: Tallahassee," Bobby said, flipping through his flashcards. I closed my eyes and then opened them, thinking it over for a minute._

_"T-a-l-l-a-h-a-s-s-e… e?" I replied, hoping that that was right._

_"That's right kiddo. Alright, how about our next word. What about "dictionary"?" Bobby asked._

_"Bobby, what's Dean like?" I asked, ignoring his question. It had just been boiling up and I needed to know. Ever since I had met Dean this afternoon, I couldn't stop thinking about him. I was just so curious about who he was, not to mention he was cute._

_"What do you mean?" Bobby asked back._

_"I don't know… he seems nice," I replied, shrugging a little. I didn't want to seem too curious but I really was._

_"Hah, nice? Dean Winchester is an idgit just like his father. I love 'em, but they're a little nutso sometimes," Bobby explained._

_"He looks nice. Bobby, why do you call him an idgit?" I asked._

_"Because he is one. Why are you so curious about Dean Winchester?" Bobby asked back, eyeing me suspiciously._

_"No reason," I said._

_"Be careful around Dean. He's uh… he's going to be a heartbreaker. I can tell," Bobby replied._

_"Oh, Bobby, I'm not… I don't have a crush on him or anything. I promise," I said._

_"You sure?" Bobby asked._

_"D-i-c-t-i-o-n-a-r-y. Dictionary. Okay, next word," I replied, avoiding his question._

_Bobby sighed, "Yep. What about this one: boulevard."_

_"Hey, Bobby?" I asked._

_"Yeah?" he asked back._

_"If I did… have a crush on Dean, you wouldn't be mad, would you?" I asked, cautiously._

_"No, why would you say that?" Bobby asked back._

_"Well, it sounds like you're warning me about him. It just sounds like you wouldn't want me to have a crush on him. If I did. Not that I do. I don't," I replied._

_"Of course not. Dean maybe be a little intense but he's a good guy. He'd be silly not to like you back," Bobby replied._

_"Bobby," I groaned. Bobby chuckled._

_"I'm just sayin', kiddo," Bobby smiled._

**~End Flashback~**

"Hey, Meredith, are you okay?" my coworker, Breanna asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, shaking away my thoughts. We were eating in the teacher's lounge and I knew that I was distant. I was at a table of teachers and all of them were talking but me. Breanna must've noticed.

"You sure? You look like you're thinking about something pretty heavy?" Breanna asked.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just… really tired right now. Dean's on another trip for work and uh, I'm taking care of the kids alone," I replied, trying to appear normal.

"Alright, just checking up on you," Breanna said back.

"Thank you," I said.

It killed me to be in the dark about all of this. What was going on? Had Bobby already….? I chuckled to myself. I was worrying the way that Bobby used to worry about me. He always thought of the worst possible situations. He would always interrupt in the middle of things because he was always worrying about me.

**~Flashback~**

_I took another shot at the metal bottles and knocked another one off the shelf. Bobby had made his own shooting ring in the back of the salvage yard and I came here when I needed to get my mind off of things. I had just gotten in another fight with my dad over the phone about coming home, and right now, I really didn't need to think about that._

_"Pretty good," a voice said. I turned around to see Dean Winchester standing behind me an admiring the shot._

_"Thanks," I said, returning my focus back to the targets. I took a couple more shots and hit the targets each time. I had been practicing a lot but then again I had been fighting with my dad a lot._

_"I heard your fight. You okay?" Dean asked._

_"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. That's normal for us now…" I replied._

_"I know how you feel," Dean said._

_I nodded slowly, "Yeah."_

_"How's the eighth grade?" Dean asked._

_"Fine. How about you? New school every other week?" I asked back._

_"Yeah, but you know how Dad is. I guess I don't mind. New school means new girls though I'm so over eighth grade girls. Can't wait to get to high school," Dean smirked. I rolled my eyes, shaking my head a little. I returned to the targets and began to shoot again. I honestly didn't really want to think about Dean and other girls either. It was stupid, I knew that, but I had always had a thing for Dean. I hated that I did and it didn't stop me from being interested in other boys, but it was always going to come back to Dean. I was always going to have a soft spot for Dean even though nothing was ever going to happen between us. Dean pulled me from my thoughts as soon as he said, "You mind if I give you some pointers?"_

_"Um, I guess not," I replied, surprised. I shifted my position and held the gun up, aiming it towards the bottle._

_"You're good just… here, let me teach you a trick. If you angle your elbow this way… yeah that's good. It helps with the aim. Right here, remember to square your hips," Dean said, placing his hands on my hips and squaring them right at the target. I almost jumped at his touch. "Woah, now. Just touching you."_

_"Sorry," I blushed. It was good thing that he was behind me and couldn't see me blush._

_"Your stance could be a little wider so spread your legs a little more," Dean added. I laughed at his sentence, losing my form. "What?"_

_"Nothing it's just, you just asked me to spread my legs in a non-sexual way. Huh. Never saw that one coming," I chuckled._

_"Who said it wasn't a sexual thing?" Dean winked._

_"Dean!" I groaned._

_"I'm kidding, smalls! Hey, you lost your form now. Go back," Dean said. I took a deep breath and straightened up, angling my elbow and my hips the way that Dean had told me. Dean adjusted my hips a little more, keeping his hands on my hips. "Okay. Shoot."_

_I pulled the trigger and it was a perfect shot. I grinned, "How did I do that? Damn, you really are good!"_

_"You know," Dean shrugged._

_Dean and I both laughed yet he didn't let go of me. I remained holding the gun but turned around to look at Dean a little more. He had this soft look in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. His eyes flickered from my lips to back to my eyes as he leaned in a little bit. I leaned in a little too. Was he going to kiss me?_

_"Meredith?" I heard a voice ask causing Dean and I to spring apart. I looked to see who it was and of course, it was Bobby._

_"Bobby!" I exclaimed, straightening up and separating myself from Dean. I held the gun, pointing towards the ground._

_"What're you two doing out here?" Bobby asked._

_"Uh-," Dean started._

_"Dean was just giving me a few pointers. That's all. You know, just being a good friend like he always is," I replied, interrupting Dean and covering for us._

_"Right, I see. How about you two come in for lunch? You can finish your shooting tomorrow," Bobby grumbled._

_"Sounds great. What's for lunch?" Dean asked eagerly, following Bobby back into the house. I was a couple of steps behind them because I couldn't help but think about our almost kiss – if it even was one._

**~End Flashback~**

I laughed at the memory. Bobby had walked in on Dean and I several times when were dating, just to make sure that nothing was going on. Luckily, the times he walked in, nothing was going or we were able to fix ourselves in time to make it look like nothing was going on. Then again, Bobby always suspected something. That's the way he is… was… damn it I hated being in the dark about all of this…

**~Flashback~**

_"Hi," Dean said, leaving little kisses on my neck and shoulders. I giggled._

_"What is wrong with you?" I asked, trying to push him off of me. Then again, why would I want to? My gorgeous boyfriend was kissing me. I really didn't have any reason to complain._

_"You did say you had things to make up to me. That and I did run into a burning teepee for you, just, you know, something for you to think about," Dean said, trying to be casual about it._

_"I see. Using your whole hero thing as leverage to get into my pants, huh?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. I turned around in Dean's arms and kissed him once before wrapping my arms around his neck._

_"Well that's the general idea," Dean said._

_"Oh jeez," I said back, rolling my eyes._

_"All work and no play is no fun. Take a break from English," he said, leading me up the stairs. He took my hand and pulled me into his bedroom and shut the door._

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were seducing me, Mr. Winchester," I started._

_"Oh, I am," he nodded._

_I smiled and he kissed me. I kissed him back. I had to leave in five minutes anyways and it's not like we could go that far anyways. He pulled me down to him on the bed, my body on top of his. His tongue massaged against mine as I did the same to his. His hands ran over my waist and ribcage, sending chills down my back. God, he was good with his hands… and his mouth. It was just the way he kissed me. He rolled me over so that I was on the bottom now and he was on top, not bothering to break the kiss._

_Dean began to leave kisses down my neck and I just closed my eyes and enjoyed what he was doing. He kissed and nipped at my neck and I hoped that I wouldn't show up to work the café with a hickey or anything. I arched at his touch as he moved his hands down to the hem of my shirt. He played with the hem and I pulled him deeper into the kiss. He began to snake my shirt up my body. He looked down at me, breaking the kiss._

_"Is this okay?" he asked._

_I nodded and Dean pulled my shirt off. He looked me in the eyes as if asking if it were okay, again. I smiled and pulled him into another kiss. I wasn't even quite sure what my limits were anymore. Did I even have limits? Our relationship had remained pretty innocent so far but here we were. It's not like I hadn't thought about having sex with Dean before but was I really ready for that? I had work in, damn, two minutes, but if we stayed together it was bound to happen soon. Dean left kisses down to my chest, right around my bra. He began to push my right bra strap down and that's when we heard a knock on the door._

_"Shit," I said, grabbing my shirt and pulling it back over my head. Dean sat on the complete opposite side of the bed and I hugged my knees to my chest. The door opened and Bobby came in._

_"What're you two up to?" Bobby asked._

_"Nothing, we were just talking," I replied, almost too quickly._

_"Why was the door closed?" Bobby asked._

_"No reason. We were just talking," Dean shrugged. Bobby eyed us suspiciously._

_"Keep the door open," Bobby said, before leaving. I looked down and started laughing._

_"That was close," Dean whispered._

_"I know. Jesus. Hey, I've gotta go to work but uh… this was fun," I said. This was fun? Seriously? That's all I could say?_

_"You have to already?" Dean groaned._

_"Well, it's not like we could've closed the door again anyways," I said._

_"Yeah… I'll see you at home," Dean said._

_"You too," I replied. I leaned in and pecked him on the lips before finally leaving for work. I got in my car and ran my fingers through my hair, inspecting myself in my rearview mirror. "Damn it." I did in fact have a hickey on my neck. I tried to hide it with my hair as best as I could and drove off._

**~End Flashback~**

By the end of the day, I went to pick up Jude and John. They were so happy and innocent and so unaware of what was out there. They had no idea what was going on with Bobby which was a good thing, but it was amazing the two worlds that we belonged to. Neither of them were really aware of it. I hated that they'd have to find out sooner or later. I brought Jude and John home and we played a couple of games with cards while I held John in my lap and Jude sat across from me on the living room floor, beating me at cards.

Bobby had never just been 'Uncle Bobby' to me. My dad was always causing the pain and causing the hurt but Bobby had been the one there to pick up the pieces…

**~Flashback~**

_I cried softly and Bobby just held me._

_"Meredith, he's an ass hole. He doesn't deserve you and he never did. Now, I know that come Monday morning, you're going to go back into that school with your head held high and show him that you're unstoppable," Bobby comforted._

_"I just… I thought he liked me," I cried. It was my freshmen year and I had gone to the dance with this boy that I had a huge crush on but by the end of the night, he danced with another girl and I knew that he never really was into me. "I don't understand. He asked me to the dance but he ended up with Tara. Why, Bobby? Am I not pretty enough?"_

_"Of course not, Meredith. You are beautiful! This guy was just too dumb, blind, and stupid to see it," Bobby comforted. I sniffled and leaned my head on Bobby's shoulder on the porch swing on Bobby's front porch. I laughed at his 'dumb, blind, and stupid' comment. "I'm sorry, Meredith. I wish you hadn't had to experience heartbreak until well into your thirties."_

_I laughed again, "Thank you, Bobby. You're right. I am going to go to school Monday morning and just pretend he doesn't exist."_

_"That's my girl," Bobby smiled._

_"I wish Dean was here," I sighed._

_"Why? What about that idgit?" Bobby asked._

_"Bobby! Dean's a good guy. He's an idigt… but he's a good guy. I just, I know that he would've kicked Michael's ass if he had been there," I replied._

_"He would've. He's a good friend to you, Meredith. He loves you just like Sam, John, Andrea, Ethan, and I do. You see? You have so many people that love you. You don't need some high school scumbag jock to like you to see that you're amazing because you are," Bobby said._

_I smiled, "Thanks, Bobby."_

**~End Flashback~**

That night, I got a call from Dean.

"Dean, is everything okay?" I asked.

"No, Mer… Bobby's dead," Dean said, letting out a sob over the phone. I wanted to be there to hold him and to just be there for him but I couldn't.

"Oh my God," I gasped, tears rushing to my eyes. I shook my head. "No. No, Dean, he can't be! He can't!" This is what I had been dreading all day but here it was. I hated this. I hated this so much. We had lost him. What was I supposed to tell Jude? Would he even understand what death was? I felt like my heart had been ripped from my chest. "Dean, it can't be."

"I'm so sorry," was all Dean could say. "Look, we're going up to Whitefish to pack up his stuff. Come meet us."

"Okay," I whispered back.


	34. Adventures in Babysitting

**Author's Note: **Here we go… we're in for some more of the dark and twisties again… let me know what you think!

* * *

><p>"Mama, I don't understand what's going on," Jude said to me as I explained to him why we had to leave to go to Grandpa Bobby's house.<p>

"Sweetie, your Grandpa Bobby passed away last night. He died. I know that this is really confusing for you, but he was very brave. I know it doesn't make much sense, but you'll understand it soon enough. Sweetie, when someone dies, they uh, their body stops working and they can no longer be alive like you and I are. That's what happened to Grandpa and uh, he would've wanted me to tell you that he loves you and I know he would've wanted to watch you grow up…" I explained, trying to keep calm for Jude.

"Mama, you're crying," Jude said, saddened to see me sad.

"I know, baby. It's really sad. Now, I know you might feel sad soon and I just want to let you know that that's completely normal. Your Daddy and I and your Uncle Sammy and Aunt Sawyer are all really sad. We loved Bobby very much," I said back, wiping away a couple of tears.

"I don't want you to be sad, Mama," Jude said, moving over to me and wrapping his arms around my neck, squeezing me tightly.

"Thank you," I said back, sniffling a little. I held my son close to me and closed my eyes, letting the tears just fall. I hated that he had to be introduced to this world so soon, but someone very close to him had passed away.

John, Jude, and I went up to Whitefish and found Dean and Sam just sitting there in silence.

"Hi," I said.

"Mer," Dean said, standing up.

Jude immediately ran over to his father, jumped up in the chair next to him, and hugged him.

"Thanks, buddy," Dean said back. I sat down next to Dean. This was going to be so hard.

* * *

><p>It had been a month since Bobby's death and we were all pretty disjointed. It was the end of February and Sam and Dean had just come home a week ago. The boys and I went up to Rufus' cabin to clean up Bobby's stuff but for the first week, we did nothing. It was just too hard. I even tried to pack up Bobby's things but I couldn't bring myself to do it. We just mourned. The next week I went back and had to resume my classes and resume life which was hard since all I wanted to do was crawl into bed with Dean and cry. Dean was still up in Whitefish with Sam. I really hoped he wasn't obsession over Dick Roman.<p>

As much as I wanted revenge too, I knew that that was a suicide mission and that we couldn't do that. Dean had become obsessed at it was scaring me. All he had done since he came home was spend time on the laptop, searching for Dick Roman. He wouldn't talk. He'd barely talk to me and he'd barely talk to the kids either. Jude was confused about his father and about what happened to Bobby. I just tried to be strong for him. The only time that Dean and I really were intimate was when we were about to go to bed. He'd just hold me and I knew that we'd get through it, but other than that, Dean wouldn't even touch me. Sometimes, all I wanted was for him to hold me, but he was stoic and determined.

Honestly, I was getting sick of it. I was angry at him. I was in pain and I was suffering too but he wasn't thinking about his family. He was so obsessed with revenge that he forgot that he had a family to take care of in the midst of all the pain. I was always taking care of him. Well, this time I needed him to take care of me and Jude needed him. John wasn't old enough to really know what was going on but he could tell that something bad had happened. Dean was shutting us out and I was tired of it.

Suddenly, there was knock on the door. I looked at Dean to see him on the laptop again. He wouldn't budge. I sighed and went to the front door, opening it.

"Hey, Sam," I said, sighing with relief as soon as I saw who it was.

"Hey," he said back.

"Come on. Uh, how's Sawyer holding up?" I asked.

"She's alright. I'm trying to take care of her as much as I can. This grief can't be good for the baby so we're really trying to work things out," Sam replied.

I nodded. Sam was taking care of his family… Damn it, Dean: "That's great. Uh, Dean's in the living room on the laptop… as always."

"Do you mind if I talk to him?" he asked.

"Not at all," I replied.

Sam nodded and then went into the living room.

"Dean, I got a call on Bobby's phone from a girl. She sounded about fourteen and I think she needs help. Her dad is missing and she sounded really scared, Dean," Sam said.

"Look, Sammy, I can't go on a case right now. Not now. I haven't heard from Frank Deveraux in weeks and he's supposed to get back to me about those numbers Bobby wrote on your hand. I'm going to go check up on him," Dean said, standing up.

"Dean," Sam started. "You can't seriously be thinking about bailing on me like this." I knew that this was going to be a beginning of another fight and I couldn't take it. I hurried upstairs and into John's room. Dean had been getting into fights with people all the time. We had barely said a word to each other ever since he had come home but when we did, it usually turned into some kind of argument one way or another.

I picked up John in his crib and rocked him gently. He looked up at me with sad eyes.

"Bobby," he said.

"What, baby?" I asked.

"Bobby," John replied. Oh my God. That had been John's first real world. Sure he had been mumbling and saying 'mama' and 'dada' but 'Bobby' was the first real world.

"I know, I miss him too," I said back. I read John a story before bringing him down stairs and putting him in his play pen area in the kitchen. I went into the living room and Sam was leaving. He seemed hostile and tense. "Sam, is everything alright?"

"Fine. Dean's going to see Deveraux. I'm going to follow up on the call. I'll see you, Meredith," Sam replied, leaving.

"Wait what?" I asked. Just then, Dean came out of the bedroom with his bag packed. I opened my mouth to say something but no words came out. I had had it and I was furious now. "Where the hell are you going?" I shouted at him.

"I'm going to go see Frank," Dean replied, stoically.

"Uh, but-, you, No!" I shouted.

"What?" Dean asked.

"No, Dean. You've been here for a week and you've barely said anything to any of us. Now I know that you're hurting and I know that this is hard for you and that this is a huge loss, but Bobby was practically my father too! You're not the only one who lost someone, Dean," I said, going off.

"Oh, please, you don't think I know that?" Dean shouted back at me.

"Well you sure as hell act like you don't! Jude lost his grandfather, Dean. Jude barely understands what death is and John is barely old enough to understand what's actually going on! You've been gone for about a month. Our kids have barely seen you and you come back and you barely talk to them. We need you here, Dean! I need you here. I need you to take care of our family, Dean," I yelled.

"I am taking care of my family!" Dean exclaimed, before storming out of the door.

"Jesus Christ," I mumbled under my breath.

"Oh, what like Sam? I'm sorry I can't be Sam for you. I'm sorry I can't The slam of the door echoed in my ears. I slid down the wall and just sat with my knees pressed to my chest, my arms wrapped around my knees and cried. Bobby was gone and it felt like Dean and I were falling apart. I just let myself cry and try to get out whatever I was feeling. It was a mix between the anger, hurt, and the deepest sadness a person could feel. God, this sucked. I could hear the engine of the Impala start up and Dean drive away.

It just felt like he was leaving us. It was so selfish of him! He wasn't thinking about anyone but himself. He had a family here that was hurting but he was too busy trying to get revenge or whatever. This was a time that I needed him to hold me and tell me that it was all going to be okay even though it wasn't. I needed to get out of the house but I had the boys to take care of since Dean left me. He left me to take care of everyone else even though I felt like I couldn't even take care of myself. I took a deep breath before standing up. I went into the kitchen and picked John up.

"Hey, buddy, you want to go to the park?" I asked.

He looked up at me, sad. He reached out to touch my face and touched my tears. Look at John, I just wanted to cry again, but I knew I had to be strong for my family.

"Mommy?" I heard a voice asked.

I turned around to see Jude, "Hey, baby."

"Mama, why are you and Daddy fighting?" I asked.

"Grown up things. We just… uh, sometimes your father and I don't see eye to eye on everything," I said back.

"What are you fighting about?" he asked.

"Well, Jude, your dad needs some answers about Bobby's death and uh, he went out to get them. I don't know when he'll be back," I replied.

"But Daddy just came back! He can't leave again. I miss him," Jude said.

I nodded, "I know, I miss him too, but it's how he's handling it all."

"But why can't he be here? Why did he have to leave us again? Does he still love us?" Jude asked.

"Of course he does, baby," I said back, trying to remove any doubt that Dean didn't love us. "It had nothing to do with that. Your dad loves you very much and he wants to protect you. That's why he had to leave."

"Everyone's sad, Mama. I'm sad too. Is that okay?" Jude asked.

"Yes, it is," I said back, nodding. My voice was shaking and I let myself cry a little. I cleared my throat and swallowed hard. "Jude, I thought maybe you, me, and your brother could go out to the park and play."

"Will it make you not sad?" I asked.

"Yeah, buddy. It is what your Grandpa would've wanted us to do. He would've wanted us to be there for each other and try to cheer each other up and I thought if you guys went to the park, maybe you'd have a little fun," I said back.

"Yeah. I want to go to the park," Jude replied.

* * *

><p>At the park, Jude was playing with some of the other kids on the jungle gym while I sat on a bench facing towards the jungle gym with Jude in my stroller. It was nice just to be outside and to have some time to not think about everything that was happening.<p>

"Mama, can I have a juice box?" Jude asked me, coming over to me.

"Sure," I said back, reaching down and picking up the lunchbox I brought with me. I unzipped it and handed Jude a juice box.

"Thanks, Mama," Jude smiled, before returning to play with the rest of the kids on the playground. I took a deep breath and just enjoying the fresh air.

"Meredith Summers?" I heard a voice ask. I turned around a saw a man about 6 1'' standing behind me. He had short, black hair, and dark brown eyes.

"Uh, it's actually Meredith Winchester," I said back.

"Oh, sorry, hi I'm Nate Parker," the guy replied.

"Okay so you know me and I don't know you. Should I be worried?" I asked back.

"No. Sorry. Wow, I just realized how I approached that. You don't know me, but I'm Bobby's nephew. I'm his wife's brother's son. I got a call the other day from a Sam Winchester… your husband, I assume?" Nate replied.

"No, uh, his brother is my husband," I replied.

"Ah, well the police department called and asked that I come gather Bobby's belongings although I drove by the house and there is none left over…" Nate said.

"Yeah, his house burnt down this summer…" I trailed off.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Well uh, I just moved here from Seattle. I could use someone to show me around. I wanted to come find someone that knew Bobby and uh, I brought my kid Tommy to the park. Figured he'd enjoy it," Nate explained.

"I see," I said. "How did you find me anyways?" I asked.

"Hunter… just like you I assume. You knew Bobby," Nate replied.

I nodded, "Yeah. He uh, practically raised me."

"Oh," Nate said.

"Yeah. Would you like to sit down?" I asked.

"Sure, if you don't mind," Nate replied. I scooted over and Nate sat down. "So tell me about yourself."

"Oh God," I groaned, laughing. That was the first time I had laughed in a while…

"What?" Nate asked back.

"Nothing, it's just that it kind of sounds like a really bad pick up line," I chuckled.

"You're right. My wife just passed away two years ago and uh, I haven't really been in the game lately so every time I say something to a woman, it usually just sounds like a really bad pick up line. Guess I'm a little rusty," Nate said.

I laughed again, "Ah… well I'm really sorry about your wife."

"Thanks. Her father was killed by something and she went after it. She got it but the pack killed her. She was just so obsessed with revenge… beautiful business, huh?" Nate asked back.

"No shit," I replied. That hit me hard. Dean was so obsessed with getting Dick Roman and going after him would be a suicide mission. I already felt like I was losing Dean. I couldn't actually lose him though. I wasn't ready for him to die either. Losing Bobby had been hard enough on us already. I shook those thoughts from my head and returned my attention back to Nate. "I uh, grew up here, went to school in New York, came back, got married, got a teaching job, had kids with Dean… it's pretty apple pie for hunter but Dean's still in it. He's uh, on the road a lot."

"Dean is your husband?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Huh. Sounds rough, him being on the road a lot," Nate said.

"It is," I replied.

"So he yours?" Nate asked, pointing to John.

"Yeah, him and uh… that one," I said pointing to Jude who was playing on the playground.

"That one is mine. His name is Tommy. He's seven. He kinda hates me for making him switch schools but I told him he's in the second grade and that he'll have plenty of time to adjust here in Sioux Falls," Nate said back.

"The elementary school is great here. I used to teach at it," I replied.

"You're a teacher?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," I said back.

"Very un-hunter like," Nate commented and I laughed.

"Dean and I are complete opposites sometimes. While I love a good hunt, sometimes all I want is to be back in the classroom," I sighed.

"Katie was like that too. It sounds like you and I have a lot in common," Nate said.

"Yeah, seems so. You know, it's nice to have someone to talk about who gets it, you know?" I asked, looking over at Nate. I looked into Nate's eyes and he just seemed so nice and honest. I felt like I could really get to know him. He was a friendly face.

"I hear you. You're the first person in a while that has understood the whole hunting thing. Most hunters don't understand the want for an out. I just-," Nate started.

"Sorry, one moment," I said, as soon as I felt my cell phone vibrating. I hoped it was Dean calling to talk or something but instead, it was Sam. I opened my phone, answering it. "Hey."

"Hey, Meredith. I'm so sorry to bother you but I think we need back up on this one. Dean is awol and I didn't know who to call but you," Sam said.

"Sam, where are you?" I asked.

"Dodge City, Kansas," Sam replied.

I nodded, "Alright, I'll drop the kids off at Andrea's. Hopefully she'll take them for a couple of nights and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you so much, Meredith," Sam said.

"It's no problem," I replied, hanging up and setting my cell phone on the bench next to me.

"You okay?" Nate asked.

"Uh, yeah. I've got to go. I'm sorry, I just, I've got something to do but this was nice. If you ever need a friend to talk with or show you around town, uh, well, you know where to find me. The park," I replied.

"How about this?" Nate said, taking my phone and putting his cell number into it. "If you need help, just call. It's nice to have a friend here. New city, new friend…"

"I like that. Friends," I said, nodding.

"I'll see you around, Meredith," Nate said.

"You too, Nate," I replied, before rallying up Jude and taking him and John back to the house so that we could pack a bag for Andrea's.

* * *

><p>After going after the vetala, I was tied up and held captive just like Sam, and Lee Chambers. I was surprised when Dean and a young girl showed up. Dean showed up and beat the vetala and now we were just at the hospital. Sam and I were fine but Lee had to be hospitalized. I sat and talked a little with Krissy while Sam and Dean talked to Lee.<p>

"So Dean's your husband?" Krissy asked.

"Yeah," I said back.

"He told me about your fight," Krissy started.

"He what?" I asked back.

"It's okay. He feels really bad about it. It's kinda funny him asking marital advice from a fourteen year old," Krissy chuckled.

"Yeah…" I trailed off. I got up and went over to the hospital room, catching the end of their conversation.

"You got into this because of your family which is the same reason you should get out," Lee said.

"Do you know any hunter that got out?" Lee asked back.

"No, they all got killed first," Dean said back.

"Yeah," Lee replied. I ducked away and returned to Krissy.

"Sorry uh, look, Dean and I… we're complicated. We both are in our own different ways. I just… I just wish he'd talk to me," I said.

"It's hard for him to talk about anything without being an asshat," Krissy replied.

I laughed, "Yeah, you're right." Just then, Sam and Dean came out of the hospital room and I stood up. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," Sam replied.

Before we left, Krissy said goodbye to Dean and Dean got into the car with Sam and me. Once same was asleep, I finally said something to Dean.

"Did you mean what you said… to Lee?" I asked.

"What… about getting out?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I answered.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Okay… so why can't you do it yourself?" I asked.

"I'm not having this conversation right now, Meredith," Dean replied.

I rolled my eyes, "I saw you with that girl today. You were amazing. Why can't you do that for us?" Dean didn't reply. He just kept driving.

Later that night when we got home, I was getting ready for bed when Dean came into our bedroom. I didn't say anything to him since every time I did, we ended up fighting. I just wasn't in the mood to fight anymore. I was about to get in bed when Dean stopped me.

"Mer?" he asked.

"Yeah?" I asked back.

"I love you," he said. Well, that was the first time I had heard those words from Dean's mouth in a couple of weeks.

"I love you too, Dean… but that's not going to fix things," I said back.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just… I can take care of everybody but myself and- and you guys have to pay the price. I'm- I'm making you pay the price and I'm sorry," Dean sighed.

"Dean, I can't do this right now, I just-," I started, but he cut me off with a kiss. "Dean, I can't. This can't fix things. I can't do this."

"I'm not good with words. You and I both know that. Just… I love you, mer. I need to show you that I love you in the only way that I can," Dean said. I stared at him long and hard before kissing him back. I knew that this wouldn't fix things but once we started, we couldn't stop. It was also just nice to be acknowledged by Dean again. He led me down to the bed, slowly unbuttoning the buttons to my shirt.


	35. Brave Face

A/N: It's shorter than usual but it felt necessary to establish the relationship between Meredith and Nate. For some reason the words are just flowing tonight but i have a feeling that this is my last update for the night... I will hopefully be able to update soon around Thursday/Fridayish but we'll see.

* * *

><p>I knew exactly what I was going to say to Dean. I was going to tell him that although last night was great that it didn't fix things but that I wanted to fix things. I was going to tell him that I loved him and that we could work this out and that I was here for him. I was going to ask him to be here for us but that we were going to get through it. I reached over to the other side of the bed to feel empty sheets. My eyes snapped open and Dean wasn't here. Oh no…<p>

I got out of bed and tied a robe around my body. I hurried out of the room to see the kitchen, living room, and den empty. Okay. I couldn't freak out. Maybe it was just me overreacting. Maybe he was with the kids. I tried to stay calm as I went up the stairs but I had a bad feeling about this. I opened Jude's room to see him sleeping in his bed and then went to John's room to see him asleep with no Dean. Oh God. Maybe he had just run out to get something.

I went back downstairs and looked out the window to see that the Impala was gone. Yeah, maybe he went to the store… somehow I highly doubted that. I saw that the duffel bag that he had left at the door from his hunt was gone. He could've unpacked it but normally Dean always left his bag there for weeks before he actually unpacked it. I practically had to do it for him.

He was gone. I knew it. He had left me this morning and I couldn't say that that didn't hurt. I wanted to resolve it and make things better before this. I was willing to work things out but he wasn't here and I just, I honestly didn't know what to do at the moment.

Just then, there was a knock on my front door. I opened up the door to see Sawyer standing in it.

"Hey, sis," Sawyer said, giving me a small smile.

"Hey, what're you doing here so early?" I asked. "Come in." I closed the door behind Sawyer as she walked into my living room and sat down. "Oh my God. You're really starting to show. You're so cute and pregnant." I needed something to make smile this morning so I wouldn't lose it again.

"Sorry, to come over so unannounced. I was up when Sam left early this morning and I just haven't been able to fall back asleep. It's hard… you know, but Sam has been so great through this. I knew he's upset about Bobby but he's really come through despite that. I know what he'd be saying right now. "Go back to bed, Sawyer. It's bad for the baby." He thinks everything's bad for the baby," Sawyer chuckled.

"He's a good guy, Sam is. He uh… left for another hunt this morning," I stated, trying not to sound like I was asking a question.

"Yeah. I mean, sweetie, Dean left this morning too. Dean dropped by, picked up Sam, and then left for their hunt. You should know, right?" Sawyer asked, suspiciously.

"Yeah, of course. I just, uh, was wondering how you felt about it," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm alright. How are you doing?" Sawyer asked.

"Fine. Uh, I should go get changed. Actually put on some clothes… I'll be right back," I said.

"Okay," Sawyer said back. I hurried into the bedroom and shut the door, leaning against it to just breathe. Dean had left this morning without telling me. I was glad that nothing had happened to him but, he didn't even call or leave a note or wake me up or anything. What did he want me to think and why did he go like that? I got dressed and then went back out, trying to pretend that nothing was wrong.

"So how are you?" Sawyer asked.

"I'm fine. Listen, Sawyer, do you want to stay here… until Sam gets back?" I asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I just get nervous with uh… him," Sawyer said.

I stopped, "Him?"

"Yeah, it's a boy, Mer," Sawyer gushed.

"Oh my God, congratulations!" I exclaimed.

"When Sam was away I had my check up and found out so, it was nice to have good news for Sam when he came home," Sawyer replied.

"That's great, sweetie. Look, I've actually got to go out. I promised a coworker of mine that I'd meet her for coffee. You don't mind watching the kids do you? John and Jude are still asleep but for now, just make yourself at home," I asked.

"No, not at all," Sawyer replied. "It's good practice since I'm having a boy."

I smiled, "That's fantastic, Sawyer."

I got my stuff together and got in the car. Immediately, I called Nate. It was just the other day when we met, things just clicked. He was easy to talk to. He understood what I was going through and it seemed as though we were very similar. We had been in similar situations and I had never had that before. I needed someone to talk to like that.

"Hey," Nate said, answering the phone.

"Hi, Nate. It's uh-, it's me- Meredith Winchester from the park the other day. I was calling… I need to talk. Is there any way you could meet me at the park?" I asked.

"Yeah, sure. You alright?" Nate asked.

"I don't really know," I answered. It was a relief, not having to lie and say I was fine when I wasn't. I felt like I had to say that for Dean and for Sawyer and for everyone else, but for Nate, I didn't feel like I had to pretend that I was okay. We were… venting buddies. I guess.

I got the park and just waited. It was a nice day so I enjoyed that.

"Hey," I heard a voice say. I turned around to see Nate and his son Tommy.

"Hi," I said back, smiling weakly.

"Tommy, this is my friend Meredith," Nate introduced.

"Hi, Meredith," Tommy said.

"Hi, Tommy," I said back. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Dad, can I go play now?" Tommy asked.

"Sure," Nate said. Tommy ran to the playground to join some of the other kids and Nate sat down beside me. He handed me a round, shallow, paper cup with a plastic bubble lid on the top.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's frozen yogurt," Nate replied.

I chuckled, "No, I know but… why?" I asked.

"You sounded pretty rough on the phone so I figured why not. I got chocolate, strawberry and vanilla. I figured you could have first pick and then Tommy and I would have the others. Tommy likes all the flavors equally but I'm more of a mint chocolate chip kinda guy," Nate said.

"Well thank you. And by the way, strawberry is my favorite," I said.

"Well it's a good thing I handed you the strawberry one then," Nate said.

"Yeah," I chuckled. I opened up the frozen yogurt and Nate handed me a spoon. "Thank you. You know, I think this is just what I needed today. Just to sit outside on a nice day with some frozen yogurt and a friend to talk to."

"Speaking of, what's going on?" Nate asked.

I sighed, "Are you sure you're okay with this? I mean, I don't want to just dump all of my problems on you."

"I'm sure, Meredith. Go ahead," Nate said.

"Okay-uh-well, my husband and I got home from a hunt last night. What I haven't told you is that we've been fighting a lot lately – ever since Bobby died. Well, we uh, we slept together last night. He and I both knew it wouldn't fix things but we did it anyways. It was stupid! I know… but… and I had everything planned of what I was going to say. We could work it out in the morning, you know? Well, I woke up and he was gone. My sister whose married to his brother said that they left for another hunt this morning. I mean, Dean didn't even leave a note or call or… anything! I haven't tried calling him yet. I don't even know if I want to talk to him. I thought we were doing better… and to top it all off, I lied to Sawyer about how knowing that Dean was gone. God, it just feels like everything's fallen apart," I vented.

"Wow, that's a lot," Nate said.

I nodded slowly, "I really wish that it wasn't."

"Okay let's start with the first part. Your husband and you are fighting, correct?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"And then you guys did the dirty and he left you in the morning?" Nate asked.

I laughed, "Did the dirty? Nobody says that!"

"I say that," Nate pointed out.

"Okay," I said, chuckling. I sighed. "it's just that… before Dean and I got together again, he was a huge manwhore. I mean, huge one. He was pretty much with a different girl every night and-."

"Wait, what do you mean before you guys got together again? You were together before?" Nate asked, confused.

"Yeah, sorry. Dean and I are a long story. We've pretty much liked each other since we were seven. His dad would bring him to Bobby's every now and then and I was living with Bobby so around junior year in high school we got together. He was my first love. So after a good nine years we saw each other again and just decided to try things again. We ended up getting married…" I explained.

"Oh okay. Sorry, continue," Nate said.

"I don't know. Things are rough between us and it just felt like he needed to have sex… I mean, he got all mushy and emotional before but… then he left," I sighed.

"I see," Nate said nodding. "You're feeling like you're just another one of his one night stands, is that it?"

"Exactly! That's exactly how I feel. It's also just that I thought we were going to work things out but it feels like he just made it worse by leaving. It feels like he doesn't want to make things any better," I continued.

"I don't know. This guy just sounds like he needed to avoid his feelings so he left…" Nate replied.

"Yeah, but it sucks," I replied.

"I know. Okay so next thing, you feel like you have to lie to your sister about everything?" Nate asked.

"Yeah. I don't know. I feel like I have to be okay for everyone but I'm not… and I want someone to be there for me to not be okay with but it just feels like I have to take care of everyone," I confessed.

"You know, you don't always have to put on a brave face. I know it feels like you do, but you don't," Nate said.

"And what makes you say that?" I asked. "My kids don't really understand what's going on and Dean's not helping. You know, my son actually asked me if Dean still loved us the other day. It's just, I don't feel like I have time or room or… anything to not have a brave face on. They need me and… and I need Dean so that I can fall apart but whenever he's around it just seems like things are falling even more apart."

"This does sound messy…" Nate trailed off.

"Yeah," I said.

"Well, if it helps, you don't have to have a brave face for me. We can just sit here and talk… like we're doing now. I'm sorry that all of this happened. You seem like a nice woman though. You don't deserve this," Nate said back.

"Well thanks. And thanks for letting me talk. I promise, the next time we find ourselves at the park together, we can talk about you," I chuckled.

"Oh no, I'm boring. Not as exciting as this," Nate said back. "Meredith, I uh, I think that your husband is not the kind of guy that likes to talk about his feelings but what you two really do need to do is sit down and talk. Have you thought about seeing someone?"

"Uh, Dean would never in a million years see a therapist," I said, shaking my head.

"Well, then just talk to each other. If that doesn't work, well, you have decide whether he's worth fighting for," Nate said back.

"He's hurting-," I started.

"So are you. That's no excuse. Relationships should be give and take. Not just give," Nate reminded.

"You're right," I said, nodding. He was right.

* * *

><p>I went back to the house and surprisingly John was still asleep. Jude was watching cartoons with Sawyer but he sprang up and jumped into my arms as soon as he saw me.<p>

"Hey, buddy," I smiled.

"Hi, Mama. Where's Daddy?" he asked.

"Daddy had to go out… I'm sorry baby," I replied.

"On another hunt?" he asked.

I nodded, "Yeah. I wish he didn't."

"I wish he didn't either. Mama, I had a dream about Bobby. He told me that he doesn't want you to be sad anymore and he wanted me to give you this," Jude said before hugging me tightly.

"Thanks, buddy. What do you mean you had a dream about Bobby?" I asked, curiously. In our world, nothing was ever a coincidence.

"He came to me in my dream and said he had a very important message for me and that I needed to give it to you. He also said that I had to hit Daddy because being an… i-um- an idgit!" Jude exclaimed, laughing at the word 'idgit'. I laughed too.

"Your daddy is being an idgit. Hey, uh, I should probably go check on your Aunt Sawyer okay? Did she make you breakfast?" I asked.

"Yeah, she made me cereal. I'm just glad you're home, Mama, and that Sawyer is staying with us. Can I call Daddy tonight though? I miss him," Jude asked.

"Yeah, you can," I replied.

I tried calling Dean that night but he didn't pick up. This was a good sign… When he came back, I wasn't quite sure what I could say to him…


	36. Saying You're Sorry

For a whole week, I had been seeing Nate at the park every afternoon. The moment I got out of school, I'd pick up John and Jude, bring them to the park and just sit there. For a while, it was just nice for me to have something to do instead of obsessing over the fact that Dean wasn't home and I never expected Nate to be there, but he always showed up and we talked and it would be a great way for me to unwind.

"Hey, you're here," a voice said.

I turned around and smiled as soon as I saw Nate. He was here, right on time.

"Yeah, as always," I replied.

"Hi, Meredith," Tommy said.

"Hi, Tommy. How are you?" I asked as he waved at me.

"I'm good, thank you. I'm going to go play on the playground now," Tommy said, running off.

Nate laughed, "He's eager. I don't know why! We're coming to the park every day."

"This is true," I said.

"Hey, I stopped by to get a coffee and figured I'd pick you up something," Nate said, handing me a paper cup warm from the hot coffee.

I smiled, "Thanks, Nate. You didn't have to do all of this."

"It was no big deal," Nate said, sitting down next to me.

I laughed, "You know, if you keep bringing me things, I am going to so fat! First day we did this it was frozen yogurt, the next day… pound cake. The day that was somewhat healthy was fruit. But thank you, Nate. Really."

"Like I said, it's no big deal. Have you heard from Dean yet?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, he finally called back a few days ago. Says he's fine. We're talking a little… conversations are short and civil but, he's going to be home soon and I don't really know how I feel about that yet," I replied.

"Sounds rough," Nate nodded.

"Yeah it is," I said back. "But let's not talk about me today. I feel like I've worn the subject out. What about you? We've talked about you a little but-, you keep saying we're similar and you have this great advice that hast to be coming from somewhere! Tell me about you." I was genuinely curious about who Nate was and where he came from.

"Well, we just moved from Santa Barbara. It's a big adjustment but I got a pretty good job offer and then I got the news about Bobby. It sounded like a good move. There are... a lot of memories in Santa Barbara. Needed to get away…" Nate started.

"How well did you know Bobby?" I asked, curiously.

"I didn't. I met him once, maybe twice but they wanted someone that was… at least somewhat related to Bobby… blood wise. Not that you're-," Nate started.

"Oh, no, you're fine! That makes sense," I said. "So this baggage…? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, no it's alright. It was about my wife. It was just too painful to be around there. I think I needed a fresh start. I mean, I'm not going to forget her – I don't want to – but I do need to stop being haunted by it all. It's just the way that it all ended. She and I were fighting a lot and she was so obsessed with finding the pack of werewolves that killed her father. She kept leaving, like Dean, but when she was gone… I just wished that I could say to her that I loved her. It was… I wish it had happened differently," Nate explained.

"Nate, don't blame yourself. It's hard to say 'I love you' when the other person isn't putting in the effort," I replied.

"But if I had stopped her-," Nate said.

"Nate, I think you and I both know that we can't stop anyone this obsessed. I'm starting to realize it…" I said back with a sigh. This made me nervous. Nate's wife had died because of an obsession with revenge and it was making me think about Dean. Dean always got reckless in situations like this. No matter how angry I was at Dean, I couldn't let my kids feel the pain of losing him. Not yet. They were too young. They had just lost Bobby. They couldn't lose their father too.

Jude was having a hard time – I could tell. He was trying to grasp the concept of death and the fact that he had lost Bobby and the fact that it felt like he was losing his dad. I couldn't imagine how hard and how confusing this was for Jude. I hated that he had to go through this already…

"Yeah, you're right," Nate admitted.

I nodded. Just then, my cell phone rang. It was Dean. "Sorry, one moment." I got up off of the park bench and pressed the phone to my ear.

"Dean, where the hell have you been?" I asked.

"We got held up on another case," Dean replied.

"You told Jude you'd be home yesterday," I replied.

"I know, I'm sorry!" Dean exclaimed.

I sighed. I was not in the mood to get in another fight with him, "What do you want, Dean? Why are you calling?" I asked calmly. Some kid was yelling in the background and I guess Dean could hear it over the phone.

"Meredith, where are you?" Dean asked.

"I'm at the park," I replied.

"Oh, alright. Well uh, never mind. I've got to go," Dean said.

"No, Dean wait-," I started. But the line went dead. I took a deep breath before putting my phone back into my pocket. I had no idea what was going on but he had just made it impossible to enjoy the rest of the day at the park. I was just going to take the boys and go home. I returned to Nate on the park bench. "Hey, sorry about that. I've got to go."

"Where are you going? We just got here," Nate asked, surprised.

"I'm sorry. I just, I have to go," I said, while gathering my stuff.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Nate asked.

"Uh… yeah," I replied, nodding.

* * *

><p>Jude ran into the house, me following right behind him with John in my arms.<p>

"Jude, your shoe is untied," I noticed, looking down. Jude stopped, staring at something and I looked up to see what he was looking up. Jude's face lit up and he smiled as soon as he saw Dean.

"Daddy!" Jude exclaimed, running towards his dad.

"Hey, kiddo," Dean smiled, picking Jude up and pulling him into his arms. He hugged his son tightly. "I missed you so much, buddy! I hope you took good care of your mommy when I was away."

"I did. Daddy, Bobby talked to me in my dream and told me to hit you and call you an idgit, Daddy!" Jude exclaimed, lightly punching Dean's arm with his small fist.

Dean chuckled, "He did, did he?" Dean gave me a strange look about the Bobby thing and I just shrugged. The two of us knew that there was no such thing as coincidence in this world. I shot him a weak smile back. We had a lot of talking to do but I wasn't going to spoil this for Jude. He had missed his dad so much.

"Yeah. He says that you need to stay home," Jude declared.

"Did he say that or did you say that?" Dean asked, busting his son.

"He did," Jude shrugged, coyly.

"I see," Dean said. "Hey, buddy, why don't you go play with your cars. I need to talk to your mama?" Dean set Jude down and he looked from me to Dean.

"Okay. But you guys aren't allowed to fight anymore. That's what Bobby told me too. He says you should stop yelling at each other. I don't like it either," Jude said.

"We won't, baby. Hey, how about John comes to join you? I can set up the little play area and you can show him all of the best cars. He has to learn from you, you know?" I suggested.

"Sure, Mama," Jude replied.

"Sorry," I said to Dean before following Jude upstairs with John in my arms. I went to the play room and set John down in his little play area before closing the door behind me. I hurried back downstairs to Dean. I honestly had no idea what to say to him so I said this: "You're here."

"Yeah. I hope that's okay," Dean replied.

"Uh, yeah- I mean… why wouldn't it be? You're- you live here," I stammered, trying to gather my thoughts. I couldn't help but think about Jude and how he wanted us to stop fighting. I knew it was hard on him. Nate's stories about the end of his wife's life was getting to me too. Dean was behaving that exact same way and I was scared. Maybe he'd stay and I could keep him away from all of it if I just made it easy for him to come home instead of giving him a hard time although I would still let him know how I felt.

"Right um, well, how is everything?" Dean asked.

"Dean, why didn't you say something? You just left without saying something," I asked, ignoring his question.

"I'm sorry… I just thought it would be easier," Dean replied, hesitantly.

"For you or for me?" I asked back.

"For the both of us," Dean answered. He took a pause, gathering his words and I crossed my arms over my chest, defensively. "I don't know. It was stupid. I know, but I thought that if I left without saying anything, we wouldn't have to fight again. It would save the both of us a lot of pain and- like I said, it's stupid."

I took a deep breath, "yeah, it was. And… look, Dean, I need to know that you're going to be here for me. I mean, not just me but for Jude and for John."

"Meredith, how could you say that? Of course-," Dean started.

"Wait," I begged. Dean stopped talking and just waited for me to say something again. "You keep leaving and… and it's like you don't even want to listen to what I have to say. At least that's the way it feels. It feels like you're not here and I need to feel like you are because… because I love you, Dean and sometimes, even when it's not, I need you to hold and tell me that everything is okay. I-." I felt tears in my eyes and I could feel myself breaking. Dean looked at me and realized the effect that all of this was having on me and the effect that his behavior was having on me.

"I need you to do that for me because you're the only one that can do that for me. You're the only person that can make it okay even when it's not and I just- yeah I can talk about what's going on for however long to whoever but the unsettling feeling that you and I aren't alright… well that's not okay! I don't like the way I've been feeling, Dean. It hasn't been good for everything with losing Bobby and-."

"Shh, it's okay," Dean said, coming over to me and pulling me into his arms. I hugged him back and he just held me close to him and let me cry. I hadn't planned on completely losing it but here I was. I almost wished that I had given Dean a harder time for being a dick, but this right here, this felt good. It felt right and that's all I needed right now. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't know…"

"I know, Dean. You-, I love you but sometimes you're too wrapped up in your own world. I feel… empty and broken, and hurt and… and I need you," I said.

"I know that now. I'm sorry. I know it's not an excuse but sometimes I think I can't help," Dean said back, holding my hands in his.

"But you can," I said back.

Dean nodded slowly, "Oh God, I've been a dick."

"Yeah, you have," I replied. "Sorry."

"No you're right," Dean said, cupping my face and wiping away a few tears. "Jude must be feeling so lost right now."

I nodded, "He is. You should talk to him."

"Yeah. I just, I want to make sure you're alright. Are you…?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "I don't know anymore. Some days I am… some days I'm not."

Dean nodded, "Okay. Well let's try to have a couple of those better days soon, then?"

"Okay," I smiled. "

"I love you, Mer. I want to try a lot harder to be better this time. I'm sorry that I haven't been here. I guess I was just so wrapped up…" Dean said, kissing me softly.

"I love you too and thank you," I replied.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Saturday morning, I took John and Jude to the art museum while Dean was asleep. Like always, Dean slept like a rock all day the day after he came back from hunts. Yesterday had made things a lot better and I was beginning to feel like I could trust him again. Jude was putting together a puzzle while I sat on the floor with John in my lap.<p>

"Hey," I heard a voice say.

I turned around to see Nate standing behind me.

"Hi, what're you doing here?" I asked, in shock.

"Well, you didn't show up at the park this morning so I stopped by The Falcon and Andrea told me you'd be here," Nate replied.

"Ahhh. Yeah, sorry about that. I kind of promised the boys that I'd take them to the art museum this Saturday to cheer them up when Dean didn't show two nights ago but uh, he's back now and we're working things out… things are good," I smiled.

"That's great," Nate nodded, smiling.

"Thanks. And thanks for being here for me… I know you never really knew Bobby, but I think he really would've loved you," I said. Nate sat down next to me and glanced over at Jude who was doing his puzzle. Jude looked back at Nate and smiled.

"Hi, Nate. You meet us at the park right?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I'm one of your mom's friends," Nate replied.

"I know," Jude said, before returning to his puzzle. Nate and I both laughed.

"Speaking of the family, you know, I think it's time that you meet some of them. I mean, you're Bobby's nephew. You're practically family!" I said.

"I don't know…" Nate trailed off.

"Bobby would've wanted you to," I said.

Nate sighed, "Yeah, okay, but do you think it would be a good idea? I mean, you guys just lost him… it might shake things up a little big – in a bad way."

I sighed, "You're right." I thought it over for a couple of moments before having a genius idea. "Actually, I have an idea. We have this gala tomorrow night to raise money for the public education systems of Sioux Falls which means, you know, elementary, middle, high school, and some of the public universities. It's for teachers only and uh, Dean, Sam, and Sawyer will all be there… I can introduce you as a new teacher at the school and they can meet you. That way you can judge whether or not you even want to be a part of our crazy family."

Nate chuckled, "Alright, yeah. I'll do it."

"Great," I smiled, contently. Things seemed to be going pretty well now.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So Dean's FINALLY had some sense knocked into him… or has he? When I was rewatching the "Adventures in Babysitting" episode, the thing that Frank says about smiling through it really stuck with me so that is why Dean is at least getting better. We'll see how long it sticks. Also, in this story, there's a time gap between "Time After Time After Time" (the last hunt they went on) and the episode "The Slice Girls". Thanks!<p> 


	37. The Fallout

A/N: Out of curiosity, who do you picture Nate as? I'm kind of picturing Josh Hopkins but I figured I'd leave it up to you guys to decide who Nate should be portrayed by!

* * *

><p>I waited for Nate to pick up as I got my purse and car keys together. I was out the door when he finally picked up.<p>

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Nate said back.

"Listen, I probably won't be at the park today. I'm going to go visit my sister… she's pregnant and she always just wants me to come over this morning. I'll uh, well, I'll see you at the thing tonight and you can meet everyone," I replied.

"Oh, okay. Sounds good. I'll see you then," Nate replied, somewhat distantly.

"Alright. Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. Don't worry. I'll see you later tonight," Nate replied.

"Okay, bye," I said back, before hanging up the phone.

I was in a ridiculously good mood this morning. I had woken up to Dean – which was good because he hadn't just left – and he and I were really getting better. Things were still tense around the house but they were much better than before. They weren't as serious anymore and Dean and I were finally starting to get back to our normal selves.

I knocked on the door of Sawyer's apartment and she called, "Come in! It's unlocked." I opened the door and walked in.

"Hi!" I called, going into Sawyer's apartment.

"You're in a good mood things morning. That hasn't happened for a while," Sawyer observed.

I giggled, "Yeah."

"Did you just giggle?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah. Dean is home and we're working things out. It's great. It's really just… great, Sawyer," I gushed. For some reason I just felt over the moon about today.

"That's great, sweetie," Sawyer said, eyeing my strangely. "Sorry, I just haven't seen you like this is a really long time so it's weird for me. Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that you're happy… it's just almost… scary."

"Hm. I am the broody sister, aren't I?" I asked.

"Yes," Sawyer replied.

"So how are you? You're what, five months along, now?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Oh, yeah. God, Mer, I don't know how the hell you did this! The morning sickness is over with and everything… was two months ago but it's so much work and sometimes my feet look huge and my boobs always feel huge. How did you do this twice?" Sawyer asked, letting out a stressed sigh.

I chuckled, "Yeah, it really does but it's all worth it. I know that sounds horribly cheesy to say, but it really is."

"We weren't even planning to have a baby, Mer! This all just happened so fast…" Sawyer trailed off.

I gave her a reassuring smile, "I know but you and Sam love each other and you are going to love your son. You've just got a bad case of the cold feet. Don't worry. The first time and even the second time I was pregnant with John, Dean and I constantly freaked out about the baby. This is perfectly normal."

"Oh good. I was starting to think I was just going to be a bad mom or something," Sawyer confessed.

I shook my head, "No, Sawyer! I've seen you with John, Jude, and Renee. You care and love all three of them so much but this is your own kid we're talking about! You are going to love this baby so much, Sawyer."

She smiled, "Thanks. By the way, are we still on for the teacher education benefit thing-y tonight?"

"Yeah," I replied.

Sawyer and I talked for a little longer before I went home and spent the rest of the day with my family. When the time had come, Dean had taken John and Jude over to Andrea's while I finished getting read. As usual, Dean was done getting ready way before I was.

I was nervous about tonight. Dean and I had both agreed that we were going to use tonight as a way to see what alone time was like after all we had been through. It was a night about getting back to our normal selves. It was supposed to be about us and nothing else – no hunting or anything. I was also nervous because Nate was meeting everyone tonight. Of course, they wouldn't know who he was, but it was a start. I knew that our family just couldn't handle two hurricanes and I knew it would be easier to slowly introduce Nate to everyone.

I was already dressed and was finishing up some light makeup. I stared at myself in the mirror and put on some dangly, silver earrings that went with my black sleeveless knit dress from White House Black Market. The side was ruched with a tulip hem which hugged my every curve flatteringly. I heard the door open and close and footsteps towards the bedroom. I put my hair in a half up half down up do and as Dean came into the bathroom, I put on a little lipstick.

"Have I ever told you how much I love your lips?" Dean asked, placing his hands on my waist and pulling me close to him. I smiled and closed the lipstick before putting it back down on the bathroom counter. I giggled a little.

"Hi, babe," I said back.

"No, really. And this spot," Dean said. I glanced at our reflection in the mirror as his eyes were glued to my neck.

"What spot?" I asked, giggling.

"This one," Dean replied, before kissing the skin on my neck right under my ear. I smiled and closed my eyes as Dean made his way down my neck, kissing it. I let out a soft moan before pulling away.

"Dean, we probably shouldn't… not now since we uh, have to get to the thing tonight," I said back.

"What is this thing again?" Dean asked.

"It's a benefit to raise money for education. No students come so we can drink," I chuckled.

"Good," Dean said, pulling me in for one kiss. He pulled away and looked me up and Dean, raising an eyebrow. "My, Mrs. Winchester, you look beautiful tonight."

"You're looking quite handsome tonight as well, Mr. Winchester," I replied. "We should get going though. I would really love to stay here with you though."

"Why can't we?" Dean asked, curiously.

I shook my head, "A lot of people are expecting me to be there and we can't just leave Sam and Sawyer all alone."

Dean sighed, "You're right."

"Hey, Dean?" I asked.

"Yeah?" he asked back.

"I'm glad that things are getting back to normal – well, as normal as we could ever be. I guess what I mean is that things between us are getting back to normal," I answered, honestly.

"Me too, baby," Dean replied. He offered out his hand to me and I took it as Dean led me out of the house and to the Impala.

* * *

><p>We got the benefit and immediately found Sam and Sawyer which was good. I had to say hi to a couple of people but other than that, I had tons of time to spend with my gorgeous husband. Dean and I were talking to Sam and Sawyer. Dean slipped an arm around my waist and I smiled. It was just the little things he did that he hadn't been doing since Bobby died that made me smile. It made me feel like we would be able to get past our gloomy phase.<p>

"I just can't seem to keep my hands off of you tonight, but who could blame me?" Dean asked, a seductive tone in his voice as he leaned in close to me to whisper in my ear. I giggled and bit my lip as Dean's voice sent chills down my spine.

"Well if it helps, I'm not complaining," I replied. Dean smirked, but before he could say anything back, we were interrupted.

"Meredith, hi," I heard a voice say. Dean pulled just a little bit away from me and the two of us turned around to see Nate. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw him and I smiled.

"Hi, Nate," I said back.

"Nate?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Sorry. Uh, Dean, this is Nate Parker. He's a… new teacher at the school. The history department just hired him. He's teaching," I started, looking over at Nate.

"I'm teaching a course in twentieth century rhetoric. It's a mix between history and philosophy. The kids study philosophies and ideas from some of the greatest writers but most of them are political so history is tied into it as well," Nate replied.

"I see," Dean said back.

"Nate, this is my husband, Dean," I introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Nate replied, offering his hand to shake.

"You too," Dean replied, shaking Nate's hand.

"Well uh, I'm going to run to the bathroom but you two talk," I said, trying to find an excuse for me to leave.

"Oh," Dean said.

I smiled politely before walking away. I didn't want to dictate the conversation because I wanted to see if Nate and Dean would get along. I'd talk to them individually later to see what they thought of each other and to see whether or not it would be a smart idea to tell Dean who Nate really was. I ran to the bathroom and took a deep breath, looking at my reflection in the mirror. Things seemed good. I waited a couple of minutes before going back out there to find Dean and Nate again. The two were standing around making small talk.

"Hey," I said.

"That was quick," Nate observed.

"Yeah. So what were you two talking about?" I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

"Not much," Dean replied. His eyes seemed to be scanning the crowd and it was obvious that he was not focused on what was going on now.

"Oh… okay. So Nate, how's your son, Tommy?" I asked, curiously. Maybe if Dean picked up on that, he'd be able to talk about John and Jude and they could bond over fatherhood? Ugh, then again, I felt like I was forcing it and Dean didn't seem too focused on what we were doing. I looked to where Dean was looking but it was just a couple of professors from University of Sioux Falls. I sighed.

"Tommy's great. He and I went to visit the art museum the art museum the other day. It's lovely," Nate replied.

"Yeah, we love the art museum. Well, except for Dean," I said. There was no response from Dean. Maybe I spoke too soon. Maybe things weren't going as well as I thought they were and what the hell was wrong with Dean? I elbowed him in the ribcage. "Isn't that right honey?"

"Ow! Wait, what?" Dean asked, finally looking at me.

"I was just talking about how the boys love to go to the art museum but that you think it's boring and so we only go when you're out of town," I replied, giving him a funny look.

"Yeah, oh, yeah the art museum… you drag me there every once in a while…" Dean said, his eyes returning to the crowd.

"Sure," I said, unsatisfied.

"I'll be back, babe," Dean said to me, putting his hand on the small of my back.

"Dean, wait-," I started but Dean just kissed my cheek and left. I sighed and crossed my arms over my chest. "He's not usually like that."

"No, it's okay. I get it. But you look like you could use a drink. Why don't I get us some wine?" Nate suggested.

"That sounds great," I nodded. Well, this night hadn't exactly gone the way I had planned it to go. Where did Dean even disappear off to?

"Hey, Mer, Sawyer's not feeling well so we're going to head out. Thanks so much for inviting us though," Sam said, coming over to me.

"Oh, no. Sawyer, are you alright?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm just exhausted and am not really up to it. Besides, my hormones are going crazy and the baby is using my ribcage as a punching bag," Sawyer replied.

"Aw, well feel better. Don't worry about. Dean… should be back any time soon," I said, almost just to reassure and comfort myself.

"Call if you need anything," Sam said, before both Sawyer and Sam left. I scanned the crowd for Dean but he was nowhere to be found.

"Hey, Sam, have you by any chance seen Dean?" I asked, curiously.

"No, uh, I'm sure he just went to the bathroom or something," Sam replied.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah, okay. I'll see you guys later. I hope you feel better, Sawyer!"

"I got white wine. I hope that's okay. It's all they had left," Nate said as he joined me again.

"That's great, actually. Hey, do you want to go sit somewhere and talk? Dean will be able to find us…" I suggested.

"Sure," Nate answered, nodding his head. The two of us went to find somewhere to sit on a couple of couches in the room that the gala was being held in.

"I'm so sorry, Nate. I didn't know that Dean would be pulling another disappearing act this time. I really wanted you guys to get to know each other!" I apologized.

"No, it's fine, Meredith. There's nothing you need to worry about. When you left, it was all kind of awkward small talk. He's not a man of many words, is he?" Nate asked back. I laughed a little and took another sip from my wine glass. I closed my eyes, just enjoying the bitter taste of the wine. This was just what I needed at the moment.

"Uh, I guess. He's just- he has a hard time opening up to people he doesn't know very well. That's all," I said. I had this weird feeling. Was I just making excuses for Dean? Was he just generally this unfriendly to most people? He had always been so good to me though. Why was I antagonizing him now? "Anyways, I really don't want to talk about me right now. I'm… let's just not talk about it, okay?"

Nate nodded, "That sounds like a great idea. How about we both agree that tonight, we just have fun? No discussion of our problems or any past hurts like we usually talk about. We only talk about the positives tonight."

I smiled. That's exactly what I needed right now. That was what Dean and I were supposed to be doing tonight: "That sounds perfect."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Nate and I were still sitting there, just talking and laugh. There was still no sign of Dean, but I had stopped caring after a while. Besides, we weren't talking about problems anymore.<p>

"Oh, no. I don't think you understand. I was a mathlete in high school," Nate laughed.

"Oh, I do. I was the girl in English class that actually did the readings," I replied.

"I was _the_mathlete," Nate said back.

"Okay, fine! You win. You're the bigger nerd! By the way, good cover about the whole history class thing. Dean went to Sioux Falls High and he knows most of the teachers that teach the standard classes. It was a unique idea and hell, I'd take that class," I complimented.

"Thanks. I took a class like that in college and it was just the first thing that came to mind," Nate replied. Just then, "Never Say Never" by the Fray came on. There were a couple of couples dancing and it was a slow song.

"Oh, I love this song," Nate smiled.

"Really?" I asked.

"Yeah," Nate shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry, Meredith. About your husband."

"You know what, you want to dance?" I asked, changing the subject. We had been talking about the song and it was honesty the first thing that came to my mind.

"Really?" Nate asked. It was his turn to be surprised now.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay," Nate said, with a small chuckle. "For you, madam." He offered his hand out to me and I giggled a little.

"Merci, Monsieur," I answered, taking his hand. He pulled me out to the dance floor and we danced, talking as we danced. "The reason I asked is that I never really knew a grown man that admitted to liking the Fray. I like them a lot… I mean, they're a little mushy but still."

"Hey, I've always heard that a man in touch with his feelings is always the best," Nate replied.

"Or gay," I teased.

Nate laughed: "You do remember that I was married before this?"

"I'm just teasing! No, a man in touch with his feelings is always a plus," I replied.

"Ah, well, I am very far from gay," Nate replied, staring deep into my eyes. I felt this little jolt of electricity that made me feel very uncomfortable at the moment. I loosened my grip on Nate. I wasn't quite sure whether or not I was uncomfortable with the feeling or uncomfortable that I was having the feeling at all.

"Right. So uh, yeah the reason I brought it up though is that Dean is quite the opposite of a man in touch with his feelings. He can't stand stuff like the Fray or Parachute or whatever. He's much more of a Led Zeppelin guy," I replied.

"I see," Nate said, twirling me around once. I laughed a little and Nate smiled back at me.

**~3rd Person POV~**

"Thank you so much Professor Medina. This has all be very helpful," Dean said.

"You're welcome, Mr. Winchester. By the way, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is your interest in Dick Roman?" the man asked Dean back.

"No reason. He's uh… an inspiration of mine and since you have done a study on high successful men in your anthropology research, I was just very interested in talking to you. My wife is a teacher as well so I figured I'd uh… pick your brain a little," Dean answered, cringing as he said "inspiration."

"Well, it was lovely talking to you," Professor Medina replied. Dean thanked him once more before going to find Meredith again. Dean was shocked and hurt as soon as he saw her dancing with that Nate guy. What exactly did he think he was doing? Meredith was Dean's wife and there was a burning sensation of jealousy as Dean watched the two dance together. The song ended and Meredith looked almost… happy. Dean swallowed hard and grabbed a glass of wine, downing it.

"Mr. Winchester, good to see you again," a voice said. Dean turned around to see Mr. Capulet, his old history teacher.

"Yeah… sure… stupid history teacher," Dean muttered to himself, while watching Meredith and that Nate guy go off together and sit down to talk.

"Excuse me?" Mr. Capulet asked.

"Nothing- not you! That stupid Nate Parker guy. Why did you hire him anyways? I bet he's a bad teacher," Dean scoffed.

"Mr. Winchester, we haven't hired anyone in the history department for years. I don't know what you're talking about," Mr. Capulet said. Something struck Dean deeply. Was he losing his wife?

**~End 3rd Person POV~**

I saw Dean coming and stood up from the chair that I was sitting in.

"Dean, where have you been?" I exclaimed.

"Nowhere. It doesn't matter. Let's go," Dean replied between gritted teeth.

"Dean, what're you-," I asked.

"Can we just go?" Dean asked, almost shouting.

I just stared at him for a while. Just as things seemed to be working out, they were falling apart. I swallowed hard, feeling way too many things all at once. "Yeah, okay. Let's go."

Dean and I got in the car and said nothing on the way back to the house. I was not looking forward to the conversation we were about to have because I had a very strong feeling that it would turn into yet another fight. This time, though, I had a feeling that it'd be really bad.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked as soon as we got home.

"What are you talking about?" I asked back, angrily.

"Nate," Dean grunted out.

"Seriously, Dean? You're mad about Nate? It was one little dance!" I exclaimed.

"It didn't look like one little dance," Dean snapped.

I sighed, trying to collect myself, "Well, you know maybe I should be asking you the same thing."

"Oh, don't turn the tables on me now," Dean shook his head.

"Yeah well if you can ask, so can I. You were gone for more than half an hour Dean. Where the hell did you go, Dean? I mean… you left me with a lot of questions," I begged.

"Meredith, I can't-," Dean said.

"Can't or won't?" I interrupted Dean. Dean just stared back at me.

"Fine," Dean sighed. "But you're going to hate me because… because there was professor there that did a study on successful men. He uh… he has connections with Dick Roman. I was investigating."

"Dean, you promised we would leave that all behind tonight," I reminded.

"Don't you think I know that, Meredith? But I can't stop thinking about Bobby? I can't leave Bobby behind! I'm sorry that I can't be who you want me to be. You know what? I just… I need to go," Dean started.

"Dean, please don't!" I cried.

"Why not? I come home and all we do is fight!" Dean exclaimed.

"Because you keep leaving!" I shouted. I could tell that that really hit Dean.

"You know what? Fine. If Nate is what you want then fine," Dean declared.

"Dean, I don't want to be with Nate. I want to be with you but you're making it impossible to be with you. Every time we try to fix things you leave. Did you just hear yourself? You said you needed to go. Well you know what, Dean? I'm tired of you leaving like this. Just because we get into an argument does not mean that you're supposed to just go, Dean," I chastised.

"Meredith, I have a job to do," Dean argued.

"Yeah, and you have a job to do here too. You have a responsibility to your children to be here for them. You've barely been here for a couple of days and Jude needs you. I can see it in the way that he looks at you and the way that he looks at me when you're gone. He needs you to be here and to be his father because he's so lost right now," I said. Dean didn't say anything.

"I owe it to Bobby," Dean finally said.

"You… you owe it to Bobby? Dean, would you listen to yourself right now? The last thing Bobby would want you to do is seek out revenge. Bobby would want you to be here for your sons… he-, God, damn it, Dean. You always said that you didn't want to be John. He hurt you and Sam so much. He could never be the father that you wanted him to be. He continuously left you and Sam in motel rooms, day after day, never explaining what was going on, leaving you two lost and confused. Well, way to go John because that's sure as hell who you're turning into! You don't think Jude has questions? Well, he does, Dean. He's hurting so much right now and he needs his dad." I exclaimed.

Dean just stared at me and I could tell that what I had just said had really hit him hard. "I'm sorry, I-."

"No, you're right. I am just like my father. I've got to go," Dean said, grabbing his jacket and keys.

"Dean, wait!" I exclaimed. "It was out of spite. I shouldn't have-, I didn't mean it, Dean."

"No, you're right, Meredith. I… I think need some time. Sammy called and he has a couple of cases lined up. I'll call you from the road," Dean said, stoically. I stood there, wanting to lock the door and not let him leave but instead, I let him leave and it was one of the most painful things I've ever had to do. If I hadn't, I knew Dean I would've fought more and I just couldn't do it anymore. It would've just made things worse.


	38. The Slice Girls

A/N: About a week has passed between this chapter and the previous one. I know that it's painful to read right now… but I promise that the light at the end of the tunnel WILL be worth it. Here's the chapter you've all been dreading...

PLEASE listen to Fix You by Coldplay when you read this chapter. THanks! OR the secondhand serenade cover which is equally fitting.

* * *

><p><strong>~3rd Person POV~<strong>

After Sam had finished yelling at Dean about not killing Emma, he just stared out of the front window. He knew that if he said anything else to Dean, he'd lose it.

"Is there anything else you wanted to say to me?" Dean provoked. Shit.

"Yeah, actually there is," Sam said. All or nothing.

"Fine. Let me have it. I deserve it and you and I both know that," Dean said back.

"Yeah, you do, Dean! How are you going to tell Meredith? And don't even tell me you're not because if you don't, I will," Sam warned.

"What, is that a threat?" Dean asked, defensively.

"No that's a promise, Dean!" Sam exclaimed. "When you married her, you promised her that you were done with all of this nonsense. You said you would grow up! I guess we all see what promises mean to you."

"I-," Dean started.

"I'm not done yet, Dean. Did you even think about what you were doing? What about your sons? Dean, I'm about to have a son myself and I couldn't imagine doing that to them. Did you ever think about the effect that it would have on them? I mean, how could you do that to your family, man? Family used to mean so much to us," Sam scoffed.

"It still does!" Dean interjected.

"Yeah, well you have a funny way of showing it. God, Meredith is going to be heartbroken! If it's not enough that you keep leaving without a word. Yeah, she told me all about that. You're jealous about that Nate guy at the benefit? You left her there to go talk to some professor about Dick Roman! If you're blaming anyone, you should be blaming yourself!"

"I'm sorry, okay? You don't think I feel bad enough? I know it was wrong and I regret it!" Dean yelled back.

"Good," Sam said. He shut his moth after that so he didn't say anything worse to his brother.  
><strong><br>~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Hello?" I asked, answering my phone.

"Hey, Mer," Molly said back.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked back.

"I just wanted to check up on you," Molly replied.

I sighed, "I appreciate it, Molly. I do, but I'm okay. I know all of you are kind of freaking about Dean and I's… fight but it's become normal now so I'm fine. But thank you. You don't need to worry about me! Shouldn't you be worried about that beautiful five month old baby of yours?"

Molly chuckled, "Well, yes, but I wanted to check up on my best friend. I know you don't need checking up on but I guess I need reassurance that you're okay."

"I see. Look, I've gotta get going though. I'm heading to the park and-," I started

"The park! That's a genius idea! Mer, you don't know how much I need to get out of the house. Do you mind if I come with you? Please?" Molly asked, desperately.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. Sure, that's be great actually," I replied. It would be good to be with Molly. I just hoped Nate would be fine without me at the park today. Molly didn't even know who Nate was. I had been keeping Nate a secret for the most part… oh no. That just made it even worse.

"Great! And then do you think we could stop by The Falcon? I promised Andrea I'd bring Renee by at some point today," Molly asked.

"Of course. I'll see you then," I said before hanging up. I sighed, before rallying the boys so that we could get ready and go to the park.

I met drove over to Molly's and she and I took her car to the park with our kids all in their car seats in the back. Molly had a bigger car with more appropriate seat belts so it was pretty good. Molly had put Renee in her stroller while John was sitting on my lap as the two of us sat on a bench and talked at the park. Jude was playing on the playground with some of the other kids while we were there for a good thirty minutes.

"Hey, I see that you already have company," a voice said.

I looked up and my eyes widened as soon as I saw Nate. Oh God… Molly didn't even know about Nate. I had talked to her about 'my friend' but never about Nate specifically. Now that I thought about it, the fact that we were meeting here every day would seem awfully odd.

"Oh, hey, Molly this is um, uh, Nate," I introduced.

"Hi," Molly said warmly.

"Yeah, uh his son comes to play at the park a lot so we end up running into each other quite often," I replied, as if it were a coincidence that we had been meeting up every day. Nate shot me a funny look and Molly seemed to be picking up on it. Shit…

"Nice to meet you," Nate said politely.

"You too," Moll replied.

"I'm sorry, Nate. You can uh, sit. We were actually just leaving. We promised a friend of ours that we'd stop by. It was good to see you though," I said, eager to leave the park. It was all starting to sit with me. Dean had a right to be jealous. I had been spending an awful lot of time with a man that wasn't my husband. We just had… this connection… once again, with a man that wasn't my husband. It made me feel so uncomfortable but I wasn't quite sure if I was uncomfortable with the feeling or uncomfortable that I had feeling.

"Oh yeah. I agreed that we'd stop by to see my mother in-law. Sorry about that, Mer, but uh, we really should get going," Molly said, picking up on the hint.

"Oh it's alright. I didn't even bring treats today," Nate said.

"Oh, that's fine. That's really fine! I'm so sorry to rush out like this but we really do have to go," I said back.

"It's no problem," Nate said, nonchalantly.

* * *

><p>While Andrea was fawning all over her beautiful granddaughter, Jude and John were playing on the floor in area designated for young kids in the café. It was just a small corner that was like a play pen overlooking the front of the store. Andrea had put a play area for kids in ever since Molly got pregnant with Renee. I guess she realized that she was about to have a large amount of children around.<p>

I sipped my coffee while Molly continued to give me strange looks, "What?"

"Mer, are we even going to talk about the weird thing that happened today with hot park guy?" Molly asked.

"He's not-, please don't call him hot park guy," I sighed.

"I was just kidding, Mer. It's just… weird. He seems to know you pretty well," Molly said, fishing around for information.

"Yeah, well our kids play at the same park so we've ended up talking a lot. He's a really nice guy, Molly…" I trailed off.

"Obviously. He brings you treats?" Molly asked, raising an eye brow.

"What? No! I mean, it was only a couple of times but he's brought coffee and frozen yogurt but it's not like it's a frequent thing, you know?" I asked back, defensively.

"Meredith has a boyfriend! Meredith has a boyfriend!" Molly sang.

"Stop it! Please, Molly. I don't-, he's not-, we- I'm married, okay? He knows I'm married. I'm married! I declared, almost needed to hear it out loud to believe it. "I'm married…"

"Oh God," Molly gasped. I averted my gaze. She had finally caught onto it. "Mer, did you sleep with him?"

"No! God, no! Of course not. Look, he sought me out… I'm… he's Bobby's nephew on Bobby's wife's side and… well one day we just started talking. He gets it, you know? He gets what I'm going through because he went through something like this a couple of years ago with his wife who passed away and, he just gets it. He listens to me and through all this Dean stuff… it's kind of nice to have someone to talk to," I confessed.

"Meredith," Molly started.

"What?" I asked, remorsefully.

"You're having an emotional affair," Molly said, seriously.

"I know," I sighed.

"Look, Mer, I know things with Dean but you're marriage is not worth throwing away for this guy that you barely know," Molly started.

"Don't you think I know that, Molly? I wish that I talk to Dean about this and I wish that it was Dean that sat in that park with me but every time Dean and I talk we fight. And every time we fight, he leaves. It hurts…" I trailed off, looking down.

"Aw, Mer. I'm so sorry that all of this is happening at the same time. I really am," Molly said.

I nodded, "You know what the worst thing is? Nate and Dean met and didn't really like each other… I was afraid that that'd happen so I didn't tell Dean who Nate was. We lied and said he was a history teacher at the school but Dean still didn't like him…"

"Mer, I know you have a lot going on, but I think you need to be honest with Dean about who Nate really is. If he finds out and it wasn't from you, you and I both know that he's not going to take it well," Molly advised.

"You're right… I need to tell him, don't I?" I asked.

"You at least owe him that much. I mean, I know he's being a dick right now, but he deserves to know at least that. Look, the rest of the stuff can wait. You don't have to tell him about you're confusing, weird, feelings for hot park guy. Not yet, at least," Molly replied.

"Molly, I don't have feelings for him," I protested but part of me questioned whether or not that was actually true.

"Well regardless, it's obvious that hot park guy likes you," Molly pointed out.

"You think?" I asked, instantly regretting how hopeful I sounded.

"Yeah… the guy practically worships the ground you walk on," Molly replied.

"Molly!" I exclaimed.

"I'm kidding! Sort of," Molly shrugged. I laughed a little. "What I'm really trying to say is that it's obvious that this guy is into you."

"Is it really that obvious?" I asked, groaning.

"Yeah," Molly replied.

"Oh shit! Dean must've… he must've known then. That's why they didn't get along. Shit," I sighed.

* * *

><p>I was up late that night reading a book that night when I heard the front door open. I put my book down and my jaw dropped a little as soon as I saw Dean. I was surprised that he had even come home. We had talked a little earlier in the week about the fact that he was on a hung with Sam but after they got to the town, he stopped calling. I looked him over. He just looked tired, sad, and regretful. I hoped everything was okay… then it hit me that nothing really felt okay anymore.<p>

"Hi," I said as he stood there.

"Hi," Dean said.

There was a long pause where neither one of us spoke.

"I'm sorry," we both said at the same time.

"Look, Dean, I'm so sorry about the last time you were here. I shouldn't have called you John. It was really harsh and it wasn't fair of me and… it's just that Jude was really upset the night when you didn't come home and I know that it was only one time but you just kept leaving and it hurt so much that I couldn't stop myself. You're not John, Dean. You're an amazing father, Dean and I love you for that. I was mad, and it was stupid, and I feel like an ass for saying those things… I didn't mean them. I mean, yes, I want you here with me and we do need you but all of the negative stuff, I didn't mean it," I said, the words just tumbling out of my mouth. I couldn't stop myself. I needed to get those words out because I had wanted to say them for so long.

"Meredith, I need to-," Dean started, roughly. He sounded like he had been yelling for a while and his voice was rough and tired. It looked like he was struggling to say something that he didn't want to say and that frightened me.

"No, wait. Please, just… here me out. There's something I need to talk to you about. There's uh, there's something I haven't exactly been completely honest with you about," I started. Dean looked up, meeting my eyes with his and there was just so much pain there.

"Oh," Dean said back, speechless.

"Do you remember the guy that you met at the teacher benefit thing?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean mumbled, nodding slowly. There was almost some kind of quiet desperation in his eyes. It was like he needed to know but he needed something specific from me about Nate.

"Nate is… Nate's not who you think he is. Nate came to me when you left for Frank Deveraux's. The police station called him when Bobby passed away because-, well- because he's Bobby's nephew on his wife's side. He sought me out and we talked and he has son that plays at the same park that Jude does so we've talked a lot. He wanted to meet you but he was afraid that you had had enough drama and that if he just tried to walk into our lives, it'd be too much so I told him that we could wait to tell you who he really was… I know it sounds crazy, but, I don't know. I was afraid that you'd react badly and, well, you know our family. We have a lot of baggage and a lot of drama sometimes and I guess I wanted to know if he could even get along with everyone. I'm kind of assuming that he didn't…" I trailed off. "But what I'm really saying, Dean, is that I'm sorry I haven't been honest with you. I don't want to keep fighting with you and lying I just… I want us to get back to normal and-."

"Meredith, stop. Please just… God, you're going to make this so hard," Dean said, his voice trembling. I could feel the blood rushing through my body. What was I going to make hard?

"Dean, is everything alright?" I asked, nervously.

"No," Dean replied.

"No? Well, Dean, you can't just leave it at that. We have to talk about this. You, I don't even know what's-," I started.

"I slept with someone," Dean finally blurted out, monotone.

"Oh," I said, speechless.

"It happened… on the hunt. I went to a bar… it was a one night stand, or at least it was intended to be. I don't know what I was thinking but… it just happened, Mer. I uh, I left my flask so I went back over there the next day to get it and she had a kid. Turns out the girl was a part of this whole Amazon warrior thing that have kids in 36 hours. When I went back over there, she had a daughter that wasn't there the night before. The kids of the Amazons grow up in about a day and-," Dean began to explain.

"Wait, are you telling me that… you have a daughter out there somewhere?" I asked. My worst nightmare was coming true and I felt like someone had stabbed me and continuously turned the knife over and over again in me.

"Wait. Let me just- no, I don't. Please, just listen to me and let me explain," Dean begged.

"Okay," I said back.

"The girl grew up. The children stop at adolescence and then age normally after that but when they become adolescence, they're supposed to kill the fathers. She came to the motel room to kill me and uh, Sam killed her. Meredith, I'm sorry and I know that no matter how many times I say it, it won't ever make up for it, but I need you to know that I'm truly sorry and that I love you – only you. It's just… it was a mistake," Dean replied.

I could tell that he felt awful but as he said those words, I could feel my entire world crashing down. Dean had slept with someone else… My husband slept with someone else… I couldn't think straight anymore so I said this: "Is that all?"

"Yes," Dean replied.

"Okay," I said back, not knowing what else to say. "I'm going to go to bed. I'll uh, see you tomorrow, I guess." I turned around and began to walk upstairs.

"Meredith, wait," Dean begged.

I shook my head and couldn't even look at him, "I can't. Not tonight. Not right now. I just… I can't." I continued going up the stairs and into the guest room. I turned on the lamp next to the bedside and shut the door. I got an extra blanket from the closet and curled up in the bed, my knees pressed to my chest. I let out a quiet sob and just let myself cry.

I honestly didn't know how to feel anymore now. I wasn't even quite sure how I was supposed to feel. Part of me blamed myself for driving Dean away. Every time had come home, we had fought and I felt if I had just accepted his way of grieving and his obsession than none of this would've ever happened but the other part of me said that I had a right to be mad about that stuff. I was angry at Dean for doing this and for hurting me. He had had a child with another woman! Sex was one thing but for me and what I thought for Dean as well, having a family really meant something. For me and Dean, it was something special to us. Family was special to us. But apparently not anymore. I felt like my heart had just been ripped and trampled over. Just then, I heard the door open a little. I wiped away my tears and wished it wasn't Dean. I couldn't be around him right now.

"Mama?" I heard a small voice ask. The door opened a little wider and Jude came into the room. "Mama, are you okay? You're crying."

"I know, baby. I'm alright. Your daddy came home and uh, we had another argument. This one hit pretty hard and uh… I'm just a little sad. It's okay," I said, trying to comfort him. Jude came over and hopped up on the bed. He wrapped his little arms around my neck and hugged me tightly.

"Daddy loves you very much. I don't want you to be mad at each other anymore. I love you too," Jude reassured.

I smiled, sniffling a little, "Thank you, baby. Hey, Mama is going to get some sleep, okay? And you should get to bed as well, Mr."

"Can I sleep in here?" Jude asked.

I sighed. I really want Jude to be roped into any of this and I definitely didn't want him to feel like he had to take sides at all.

"Sure, if you want to," I finally said. This didn't mean he was taking sides though.

"Okay," Jude said back, curling up in bed and falling asleep before I did. I tossed and turned in bed and finally ended up falling asleep after a good three of hours of just laying there. Dean's words echoed in my head, piercing me each time I repeated them to myself. Why were we falling apart?


	39. One Night To Be Confused

A/N: Please listen to Heartbeats by Jose Gonzalez while reading Meredith and Dean's scene. It sets the mood perfectly and the lyrics are incorporated in the scene as well. I promise. Things will start working out in about two chapters.

* * *

><p>I woke up and glanced at the clock. I had only been asleep for four hours. I kept waking up and had the worst trouble trying to go back to sleep. I glanced over at my son and smiled. That was one thing I could smile about. If I had thought that Dean and I were in a bad place before, Obviously I hadn't imagined that this would happen. I got out of bed, picked Jude up, and carried him back to his room, setting him down in his bed. Of course, he didn't wake up because the kid was a deep sleeper. I went back downstairs, grabbed my keys, and headed out.<p>

I kept driving and driving until I hit the park. Worst Saturday morning ever, huh? I parked the car and went out there to sit on my regular bench. It was early, so no one was here. I just sat there and watched as the park slowly got busier and busier. I had brought a book with me but it sat on my lap. All I did was sit.

"Hey," a voice said. I turned around to see Nate.

"Hey," I said back.

"Woah. You look like you had a rough night last night… you okay?" Nate asked back.

"Yeah," I lied. "Look, sorry about yesterday. I just, I haven't exactly told Molly about our park meetings and stuff and I realize how strange it all sounded and didn't really know how to explain it right then and there. But uh, I really am sorry."

"It's alright. Mind if I sit?" he asked.

"Not at all," I answered. "Where's Tommy?"

"He's at Tae Kwon Do," Nate replied. I nodded slowly staring out ahead of me again. Nate looked at my untouched book and watched my stoic reactions.

"You sure you're okay?" Nate asked back.

I sighed, "Do you have the time?"

"Don't I always?" Nate asked back.

I nodded a little, "Okay. Dean came back last night and uh, he slept with someone." I tried not to let my voice crack because I didn't want to cry. Not now."

"Oh my God. Meredith, I'm so sorry," Nate said.

"No, no it's okay! Just don't, please," I begged, as he reached out to comfort me. A hug or a hand or anything really would just make me feel ten times worse. "I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it right now. You're always there for me to listen but I think today I just need you here for me to… distract. Yeah, distract me please. I don't want to think about it."

"Okay," Nate trailed off. Nate looked at my apologetically and I knew he really wanted to help but I think he could tell that the kind of help that I needed right now was just to not think about it.

"Anything, really, Nate," I pleaded.

"Okay. Uh, well I'm looking at houses. I think I've found the perfect one. I've been speculating for a while and I looked at it a couple of days ago and it's great," Nate said.

I looked up at him, trying to stop thinking about Dean, "Okay. Tell me about." This was a good distraction. This was just what I needed.

"Come over here," Nate said, getting up.

"Okay…" I said, weirdly. Nate walked over to the sandbox and sat down on the edge, me following. Nate grabbed a stick from off the ground and began to draw a rectangle in the sand.

"Alright, so I'm no architect or artist for that matter, but this is the general floor plan," Nate started. I laughed a little as he began to draw in the sand. He drew out the kitchen, the living room, everything. It was nice to be able to forget all about my problems and just focus on some happier things. My friend was going to get a house. I wasn't even bothered with Molly's observed weird, creepy tension between Nate and me. "And right here, this would be our anything room."

"Anything room?" I asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, you know the room that you leave little to no things in it so that it can be a room for anything. Tommy and I can go for a hike in the Sahara desert or travel to Mars in our rocket ship in the anything room," Nate replied.

I laughed, "Now that is perfect."

"Even though my drawings are awful. They're pretty awful, aren't they?" Nate asked, chuckling.

"Well, maybe you'll have to show me the real thing," I suggested.

"Oh, you know that's an idea. I'd love to get a second opinion on the house actually, but it's about an hour away from here. Depends on traffic though so if it's pretty bad… it may take a little longer. Are you sure you're up to it?" Nate started, his eyes lighting up.

"Great! I could do today. It's uh… it should be obvious that I'm avoiding going home," I sighed.

"Yeah, okay. I'll call my realtor. She should be able to meet us over there today. We were actually going to look at some other houses today but I have a really good feeling that this is the one. I feel like… finally this one might actually work out," Nate replied.

I nodded, "Sounds great."

Nate called his realtor and we met over at the house. The realtor showed us around and it was truly a spectacular house. There were even beautiful stained glass windows in the dining room. The dining room had a view of the porch and Nate and I were standing there, admiring them.

"Yeah, you know… I really like stained glass windows. They're beautiful, really," I sighed, happily.

"They are. I love the way that these two colors contrasts. It's just… interesting," Nate said.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave you and wife to discuss and let me know," the realtor said.

"Oh, sorry, I'm not-," I started.

"She's just a friend," Nate corrected.

"Oh. Well, I'll give you two time anyways," the realtor replied, excusing herself from the house.

"So what do you think?" Nate asked me.

"Honestly? It's a great house, Nate! I think you really lucked out on finding this one. It's… it's lovely and I could really see you and Tommy living here," I answered.

"I just, I feel like we've been cooped up in that little apartment and finally, after what felt like a while, we've found our breath of fresh air. You know? The one. It feels like we've finally found the one. It takes forever to find the one but when you do, it just hits you. There are no questions asked. It's just… you don't have a choice. I think this is the house," Nate rambled. He had this misty, happy look in his eyes as he looked at me. There it was again: that uncomfortable feeling. I had a strange feeling that we weren't talking about houses anymore…

"Yeah. Good. Congrats on the house then," I said back.

"Thanks. I uh, I should probably tell the realtor then," Nate said.

"Yeah," I nodded, my mind wandering elsewhere. Nate excitedly went out to tell the realtor that he was going to take the house while I kept looking at the stained glass windows, just thinking about what Nate had said about "the one" and all of that.

If we were applying what he said to love, then Dean was the one. No matter how much he hurt me and how much I disliked him, he would always be that person for me. There were no questions asked with Dean. I loved him. I didn't have a choice otherwise. And that's when it hit me. I needed to fight as hard as I could to fix things with Dean because he was the one. I was never going to love anyone the same way I loved him but right now, it was hard. It was hard getting back in the ring with the one that knocked you out in the first place. I hated that. I hated that no matter how mad I was at Dean, he still made me feel that way. It made me want to pull my hair out and scream at the top of my lungs. Dean was complicated and messy but I knew that I didn't have a choice – just like what Nate had said.

Now for the other to sort out: Nate. Molly was right. I could see it now. But I was married and I knew that I needed to be with Dean… this was not good. Just then, Nate came back into the house.

"It's done. I've placed an offer!" he declared happily.

"That's great," I smiled weakly.

"Everything okay?" Nate asked.

"Yeah, I've uh, I've just got to go. I've kind of been out all day and… I've got to go," I said back.

"Oh, okay," Nate said.

"I'm sorry," I replied, excusing myself. 

* * *

><p>"<em>One night to be confused One night to speed up truth/We had a promise made/Four hands and then away/Both under influence/We had divine sense/To know what to say/Mind is a razor blade…"_

I closed the door to my house and walked in, dropping my keys on the table.

"Where have you been?" Dean asked, softly. I looked up and saw him standing in the hallway.

"I uh, I just went out," I replied.

"All day?" Dean asked.

"Yes, I went for a walk in the park and um, I was driving around for a while, I needed to clear my head," I replied.

"I took the kids to Andrea's for the night. I figured they shouldn't be around for now," Dean replied.

I nodded, "Thanks, I guess."

"You were out all day," Dean pointed out.

"Yeah, well I've had a lot of thinking to do. My husband dropped a bombshell on me last night," I snapped. I could tell that it had an immediate effect on Dean and I felt bad about it but at the same time, I was almost satisfied. Ugh, that was horrible but I was hurting so much that it was hard not to. And then Dean and I just stood there in silence, not looking at each other.

_" To call for hands of above/To lean on/Wouldn't be good enough/For me, no…"  
><em>  
>"Mer, please say something," Dean pleaded, breaking the silence. I finally looked at him and shook my head.<p>

"I don't have anything to say to you!" I said back.

"I cheated on you, Mer," Dean started.

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me," I snapped.

"Yell at me. Hit me. I-, I deserve that! You should want to do that at least!" Dean yelled.

"Dean, it's not that-," I started.

"Look, I know that you're mad and-," Dean started.

"Oh my God!" I sighed, angrily. I stopped and looked at Dean. "No, Dean, I'm not mad! I'm hurting. I am in pain because my husband slept with another woman. I am pain, Dean, and you put me here. The person that was supposed to love me the most, put me here!" I could feel the angry hurt tears that were begging to escape my eyes right now.

"I'm sorry, I-," Dean began.

"No!" I exclaimed. Oh no. Here it was. I was going to let him have it. Oh no… It was too late now. All of it. Everything that had been bottled up was about to come out. I just hoped I wouldn't say anything that I'd regret. "You had a child with her, Dean."

"Don't you think I know that?" Dean exclaimed back.

"Of course I do but I've been thinking about it all day and I couldn't help but ask what the hell you were thinking?" I asked back.

"I wasn't!" Dean answered.

"What would have happened if Sam hadn't had to kill her? What would we have told Jude or John for that matter? Neither of them are old enough to understand what's going on but it's obvious causing them pain. I mean, even before this happened… every time we fight… do you know how broken up Jude is about Bobby? Well, he's devastated, Dean! And then every time you leave, he doesn't know why! When you come back, we're at each others' throats and… everything he used to know has been turned upside down. And then you throw this into the mix. Why?" I exclaimed.

_"One night of magic rush/The start, a simple touch/One night to push and scream/And then relief/Ten days of perfect tunes/The colors red and blue/We had a promise made/We were in love…"_

"Meredith, we all have different ways of finding comfort and dealing with… all the shit that happens, okay?" Dean replied.

"No, not okay!" I spat. "You know what, Dean? If that's what you needed then why are we here? Why is it that when you married that's all you said that you wanted because clearly it's not! Clearly I'm not enough for you!"

"Mer, don't," Dean growled. And after that, I just stopped talking. I couldn't say what I was about to say because honestly, I didn't know if I wanted to hear the answer. "Why stop now? You were on a roll."

"Why?" I asked, hysterically. "Because I can't talk about this right now. Because-, because I hate you and I love you all at the same time and I'm trying not to lose you or say something that I might regret, Dean, because right now, I just, I can't stop myself from saying things that I'm going to regret later."

"Well, you should. I hurt you," Dean said back.

"Dean, this isn't-, it doesn't work that way!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, I-," Dean said.

"Dean, why? Why did you marry me then? If this was what you wanted… one night stands, being on the road all the time? Why is it that when we got married, did you promise to love me and only me and children and this perfect apple pie life and that maybe we'd get out and that maybe we'd someday be able to raise a family together. Why did you promise me all those seductive things? You knew I wanted them and I thought you did to," I asked, honestly.

"I do want them, Meredith. I always have," Dean replied, desperate to convince me.

"But you did it just the same. So why make those promises?" I asked.

"I didn't plan for this to happen!" Dean yelled.

I swallowed hard, "Dean, you were going to die in a year. I told you you'd be better off not settling down with me but you did. And it worked for a while. Maybe it's just… maybe it's just a sign that we shouldn't have settled down we-."

"How can you say that, Meredith?" Dean asked in disbelief.

"Because you slept with someone else!" I exclaimed.

"You really think that I slept with her out of love or even like or because I wanted those things with her? No! I did it because you and I were fighting, Bobby's dead, and I just, I don't know how to handle it anymore," Dean replied.

"So why come back? Why come back and do this… we've been fighting so much… why not go back on the road and leave me and all of this behind-," I asked.

"Because I love you!" Dean shouted back at me.

The two of us just stared at each other and the look he gave me took my breath away. Dean charged at me and I made my way towards him. Dean grabbed my face and kissed me, our lips crashing together in an angry, hungry, lustful, passionate kiss. Dean pressed his body against mine in eager need as did I. We left a trail of our clothes leading right to the bedroom.  
><em><br>"And you/You knew the hand of the devil/And you/Kept us awake with wolves' teeth/Sharing different heartbeats/In one night…"_

* * *

><p>I woke up the next morning, curled up to Dean and wrapped in a thin sheet around my body. We had really gotten into it last night and then this… My head was rested on his chest and I looked at his sleeping face. I loved him but there was just so much hurt between the both of us. I leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips before getting up, getting dressed and leaving.<p>

I got in my car and called Nate. I hadn't planned on calling Nate, but if anyone knew what this was like, it would be Nate. We agreed to meet at the park again because Tommy was at Sunday school.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," he said back.

"Dean and I really got into last night," I finally said.

"Oh," Nate replied.

"How's the house thing going?" I asked back.

"Great. I think we're getting it," Nate replied.

I nodded, "That's great."

"So… today do you need a distraction or to talk or… what?" Nate asked.

I shook my head, "I think I just need to sit here with someone."

"Okay," Nate said back. Involuntarily, I leaned my head against Nate's shoulder and the two of us just sat there for a while, listening to the chirping of the birds in the morning. I took a deep breath. "Meredith?"

"Yeah?" I asked back.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Nate asked.

"I love him," I replied simply.

"But love shouldn't be this hard. It should be easy," Nate replied.

"I don't know…" I trailed off. "I honestly don't know anymore. I-, it's complicated. I just, I can sit here with you and I talk to you and… you make it easier. You're simpler. You… you're esay to be with. But with Dean, Dean just makes it easy to love him. Easy to… I don't know, easy to be in love with him."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Nate asked back.

I sighed, "I think because it's easier for me to talk to you than is to him… and I can't do that anymore. I-, Nate, Molly mentioned something to me. She says that… well, I'll be honest. She thinks you have feelings for me. She said that… that I'm having this emotional affair with you."

"Oh," Nate said.

"Do you?" I asked.

"I would be lying if I told you I didn't," Nate answered truthfully. I closed my eyes and nodded.

"I'm married," I finally said.

"I know," Nate replied.

"This has to end, doesn't it?" I asked.

"Yeah. Look, Meredith, I care about you and it's obvious that no matter what happens, you're always going to be in love with Dean. I could pursue you. I could try to talk you out of your marriage but, you'd never love me the same way you love him," Nate replied. This was heartbreaking. I liked Nate a lot. I just didn't love him. I cared about him, sure. But he was right. I wouldn't ever be able to love him the way I loved Dean.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I ever lead you astray. I… we kept meeting here and we always talked and I'm sorry if I used you as a therapist or-," I started.

"No. It's been great having a friend here but I think it's time for me to get a fresh start… a real one," Nate replied.

I nodded slowly, "Well I guess it's a good thing that the house you're buying is about an hour out."

"Funny how things work that way," Nate replied.

"Goodbye, Nate," I said. "take care and um, thanks… for everything. You've been so kind to me and I've been… I don't know. I wish I could've been half the friend you were to me."

"You were, I promise," Nate replied.

I hugged him but when he pulled back, Nate leaned in and kissed me. I closed my eyes and for a second, kissed back before pulling away, "Nate, I-."

"Sorry. I guess this is goodbye then."

"Yeah," I said back, wearily.


	40. Fix You

**Author's Note: **Please listen to "Fix You" by Coldplay when you read this chapter. All of the painful chapter are about to pay off in the next one. I promise!

* * *

><p><em>"When you try your best but you don't succeedWhen you get what you want but not what you need/When you feel so tired but you can't sleep/Could it be worse?"  
><em>

I shut the door the house and leaned against it, just taking a breath before I faced Dean. I had kissed Nate… well, Nate kissed me but I had kissed him back – even if it was just a little. Had I made things worse? I couldn't tell and I wouldn't know until I told Dean. Another part of me was sad though, because I had just said goodbye to Nate. Nate had been there for me and it just felt like so many things were changing all at once.

"Where were you? I've been worried sick! You haven't answered your phone and-," Dean started.

"I kissed someone," I admitted, interrupting Dean.

"Wha-," Dean asked, as if all of the air had been punched out of him.

I nodded slowly, "Well, he kissed me but it's not important because I kissed him back for a second and then realized what I was doing…"

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Nate," I replied.

"But… about last about," Dean started, at loss of what to say. I think this was just as much of a shock to him as him sleeping with another woman was to me.

"What about last night, Dean?" I asked.

"Well, we…" Dean trailed off, trying to think about what to say.

"Dean, we can't fix things with sex. It just doesn't work that way," I interjected.

"But it meant something," Dean argued.

"Okay, well then explain to me Dean how sex with me means so much while sex with this other woman didn't. I-, I mean if it meant so much to you, you wouldn't have slept with her in the first place. I just don't get it!" I exclaimed.

"Because I love you and you're my wife and _you _mean something to me. She meant nothing to me, Meredith! What is there to get?" Dean asked back, angrily.

He had a point and I completely understood it. Damn it. Why were things so hard between the two of us? I knew that Dean was sorry but I couldn't bring myself to just forgive him and pretend that everything was okay. It wasn't just the infidelity that was bothering me but the fact that he had constantly left without a word or even discussing it in the past and that was not okay!

"I know… I just, Dean, I'm sorry about Nate. It's just, he's been there for me and it just kind of happened and-," I started.

"Are you in love with him?" Dean interrupted. I stared at him straight in the eyes and shook my head.

"Do you even need to ask me that, Dean? Of course, I'm not in love with him!" I replied, as if he were crazy.

"Do you like him? Do you have feelings for him, Meredith?" Dean asked, his voice hardening.

I paused and thought it all over. "See, that silence? That's my answer right there. You know what, Mer? That's all I needed to know!"

"Dean!" I exclaimed.

"No!" Dean yelled back. "I had a meaningless one night stand but… you and this Nate guy, you see him… what… every day?" When I didn't reply, Dean had his answer. "I can't believe this! You're mad at me for sleeping with someone but this entire time you've been practically seeing someone else."

"Dean, it's not like that. I care about him," I said.

"Yeah, well you're supposed to care about me!" Dean rebutted.

"Yeah, well you're supposed to be there for me and for your family. He was there for me, Dean. That's why! I don't-, I don't love him and I'm not even quite sure that I have feelings for him. He's just been there for me," I explained.

"Did you sleep with him?" Dean asked.

"Of course not," I answered.

Dean nodded slowly, "Good."

"Dean, I know you're mad but you can't blame me entirely for this. I needed you and-," I started.

"You don't think I already know that? Because I do! You don't think that I think I'm driving you away?" Dean asked.

I took a deep breath, trying to collect myself. I finally looked back at Dean after a long pause and said this: "Do you even want this anymore? This… us… our marriage? Is it worth it? All the fights. We're complicated Dean. Is… I need to know that this is what you want."

"Of course it is, Meredith. I can't believe you even need to ask. I came home, didn't I?" Dean asked back.

"Yeah, you did," I gasped. How did I really need to ask that? Damn it. "Dean, I think we need to see someone because if we really want to fight for our marriage, then we need help. I just don't think we're going to be able to solve it ourselves and… well, look where that's getting us. We're always yelling at each other and… and I just think we need the extra help."

"No, no, Meredith I'm not paying some quack to talk to about my feelings," Dean protested, shaking his head.

I sighed, "I figured you'd say that. Look, I'll give you some time to think about it and if the answer is still 'no' then I guess we'll have to talk about… I've got to go, though."

"Where are you going?" Dean asked back.

"I have to pick up the kids and uh, I'll be back… why don't you go see Sam or something?" I suggested. "I think it'd be a good idea if we spent the day apart… just to think, you know? Clear our heads. If you want get the kids that's fine too but… I just don't think we should be together right now. Besides, it's better for Jude. He hates it every time we fight."

"No, it's alright. You can get them, if you want to," Dean said.

"Okay," I said back.

_"When the tears come streaming down your face/When you lose something you can't replace/When you love someone but it goes to waste/Could it be worse?"_

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

Sawyer opened the door and gave Dean a sympathetic smile. Dean stepped into the apartment and saw his brother heading towards the door.

"Sammy, do you have time to talk?" Dean asked.

"Sorry, I don't. I have plans," Sam replied, through a clenched jaw as he passed by his brother, right the front door and to his car. Dean sighed as he heard the car start up and pull out of the parking spot.

"Hey," Sawyer greeted, softly.

"You seem to be the only one that's not mad at me right now," Dean observed.

"Meredith's my sister, I love her, and she has every reason to be hurt right now, but I'm trying to stay out of this. You know, the whole third party, objective observer?" Sawyer said.

Dean nodded, "Yeah, I get it. Well, uh, I guess I should get going then because Sam hates my guts too."

"Sam doesn't hate you!" Sawyer pointed out. "He's mad at you. Dean, Sam is your brother and he loves. He just… hates what you did."

"Okay, can we stop treating it like it's this taboo thing that we're going to dance around?" Dean snapped. "Sorry. I'm just… a little on edge now."

"It's alright and understandable. You and Meredith have been fighting a lot and you've been through a lot. I get it. I do, Dean. You know, you don't have to treat me like I'm some delicate flower. I'm just like Sam and Meredith," Sawyer said.

"I guess. I don't know. I never got to know you well enough to be mad at you. At least, I've never had a reason to be mad at you. All you've done is make Sam happy. Damn it. Why can't I be more like Sam sometimes? God, I never thought I'd ever say it but it's true. Sam is happy. He has you and a son on the way. He's on his way to a family. Sam lets himself be happy unlike me… who just screws it up whenever he gets the chance," Dean said, bitterly.

"That's not true, Dean!" Sawyer protested. "You have made Meredith incredibly happy and the only time that you did, essentially, screw things up, was after you lost Bobby. You see? I that losing Bobby took a toll on both of you and since the two of you felt like neither of you were there for each other, you sought comfort elsewhere. In your case, comfort just meant sleeping with someone…"

"See? You get it! That's exactly what I've been trying to tell, Meredith," Dean sighed.

"Well, I'm not saying that it's an excuse, I'm just saying that I see what you're saying." Sawyer interrupted.

"Yeah," Dean replied, trailing off. He felt so conflicted and he was pretty sure that it showed on his face. He thought over the many things in his head, trying to sort them out but it was no use. There was no way that he was going to sort through them now. His marriage, and what felt like his life as well, was just a mess. He finally answered Sawyer, "No, that's all."

"I-, Dean, if you don't mind me asking, are you sure that's the only reason that you slept with this woman? It seems like there's something else going on with you.

"I'm sorry, Dean. I do want to help but you did sleep with someone that wasn't your wife," Sawyer sighed.

"I know," Dean groaned, burying his face in his hands.

"Look, it's okay. Well, it's not "okay" okay but it's okay and you can talk to me about it," Sawyer said, softly.

Dean nodded, "She kissed someone. Nate, or whatever his name is. The one you guys met at the benefit thing."

"She what?" Sawyer exclaimed.

"That was my reaction. I just… I don't know if it was out of spite or because she doesn't love me anymore or… I don't know!" Dean vented, feeling desperate as ever for answers.

"Ohhhh," Sawyer said.

"What?" Dean asked back.

"Well, I'm not excusing her either but she kissed this guy for the same reasons as you: comfort. You sought comfort in sex, and she sought comfort in being able to talk to this guy about how she was feeling. She was getting that and he was there for her to be a friend to listen. I mean, Dean, we all saw the way he looked at her… we kind of saw it coming," Sawyer said, biting her lip hesitantly.

"Wait, how come no one said anything?" Dean asked.

Sawyer shrugged, "I don't know. Everyone knew you two had enough problems and for all we knew, he was really helping Meredith every time you left… or whatever. Sorry, I don't mean to blame you. Sam and I knew she needed that person and didn't want to spoil that for her too."

"Well, how come she couldn't talk to you or Molly or Ethan for that matter?" Dean asked, frustrated. He was blaming himself and he couldn't stop.

Sawyer shook her head, "We don't understand the way he did. He went through something like what she's going through and… I guess that was comforting to her. Look, I wasn't raised like you guys and I certainly never hunted like you guys. Meredith is right. I don't get it the way that others can. As for Molly and Ethan, I don't think either of them have hunted a day in their lives. Andrea wanted to keep it that way and… well you, remember Molly's face when we finally told her what we did."

"This is all my fault, isn't it? I drove her away… I drove her towards him," Dean said, shaking his head at himself.

"No!" Sawyer comforted. "No, you didn't. Okay, maybe a little with all the leaving but Dean, I will say that you can fix this. You and Mer, love each other so much and… I know you can fix it. She may still be mad – she's hurting Dean – but I know she still loves you. I know she does. I think you two just need to really talk things out."

"I don't know. Every time we try to talk we fight," Dean reminded.

"Well, have you ever thought about seeing someone?" Sawyer asked, hesitantly. She didn't expect a yes from Dean, but she knew it was worth a shot.

Dean chuckled a little, "Funny thing is she asked me that herself and I told her no. I completely wrote her off for that… I mean, I just don't do that stuff, you know?"

"Yeah, well you're talking to me," Sawyer pointed out.

"That's different! You're my sister-in-law and my brother's wife," Dean said.

"Well sometimes it's even easier with someone even more objective," Sawyer answered.

"Am I being too proud about this whole therapy thing?" Dean asked, sadly.

Sawyer sighed, "Honestly, I think you are. You said you've never had to do things like this… that you don't do those kinds of things, well, Dean, you're married and you have two children now. Then, when you didn't do those kinds of things, I doubt that you had those kinds of responsibilities."

Dean nodded slowly, "Yeah, you're right. I need to talk to her!"

**~End 3****rd****Person POV~**

_"Tears come streaming down streaming down your face/I promise you I will learn from all my mistakes/Tears come streaming down your face/And I..."_

I took the kids back to the house once I finally got home and was relieved to find that Dean wasn't home. It wasn't that I didn't want him home; it's just that I think it'd be better, especially after this morning that we spend some time to cool off – especially with Jude home. He hated hearing us fight and I hated that he felt so bad about it. I just didn't want him to have to hear that anymore.

"Mama, you can have this truck and I'll take the Camaro," Jude said, bossily as he handed me the Chevy toy truck.

"Alright," I chuckled taking the truck.

"Vroom! Mama, look! I'm driving!" Jude exclaimed, maneuvering the tiny toy car around the carpeted living room floor. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Look at you!" I smiled. "Hey, Jude, I'm going to go get the door, okay?" I got up, with the toy car in my hand and went to the door. I opened it, surprised to see Sam in the door way. I thought Dean had gone to talk to Sam, but Sam was here on my front porch. "Hi, come in." Sam stepped in and I closed the door behind him. "I thought Dean went over to your place."

"He did but once he showed up, I left," Sam replied.

"Sam, you didn't have to do that. I don't want you to feel obligated to take sides in this. I mean, he's your brother and-," I started.

Sam shook his head, "I'm already mad at him, Meredith. There's no use. Besides, when he showed up, I figured I'd come over. I assumed that you had a fight or something and wanted to know if you needed to talk."

"Oh, well thanks," I said, taken aback.

"How are you holding up?" Sam asked.

"Honestly?" I asked back. Sam nodded and I sighed. "Well, not so good. I uh, Dean and I talked again today. I kissed someone… it was a mistake. It was a goodbye kiss really but… I did it just the same. I told Dean and he flipped out, which was expected."

"Wait, you kissed someone? Is it because you're mad at Dean?" Sam asked.

I shook my head, "No, it's because he was leaving and- it was Nate, Sam. Nate's been there for me this whole time but he's leaving now and, well it just happened. He kissed me and I kissed him back until I realized what was actually happening. I don't have feelings for him but I care about him. Apparently it was obvious that he had a thing for me and wow, this just keeps getting worse."

"Yeah, it was obvious," Sam agreed.

"So I've been told," I groaned.

"Well, you don't like him, right?" Sam asked.

I shook my head, "No. I mean… I don't know. No. I do care about him a lot though."

Sam nodded, "That's reasonable though. I know things seem to be getting worse, but I do know that Dean wants to try to fix things. I mean, he came back, didn't he? He could have turned around and ran but he didn't. He loves you, Meredith. I'm not saying that you should just forgive him but I do think that it's worth a short."

"Don't get me wrong, Sam. I do want to fix this too but I suggested we see something and he completely freaked out on me," I said.

Sam sighed, "Well, Mer, of course he did. You and I both know that Dean would freak out with someone like that.

I groaned, "Ugh, I know! Why was I so stupid!"

"You're not stupid," Sam added.

"Thanks, Sam," I sighed. "No, I knew he was going to say no so technically I was setting myself up for disappointment but at the same time, I honestly think we need it. We fight every time we try to talk about what's going on between the two of us we end up screaming at each other. I didn't know what else to do… I don't know how we're going to be able to talk things out without killing each other."

"Dean will come around, Meredith. He will," Sam reassured.

I nodded, "I guess so, maybe."

"Look, if there's anything I can do to help, feel free to ask," Sam offered.

"Okay fine. If I have to forgive Dean you do too. Deal?" I asked.

Sam thought about it for a moment before taking in a deep breath and saying, "Deal."

"Actually, you know what, you can do something for me. Do you think we could just not talk about it right now? Distractions would be nice," I asked.

"Mama, are you going to come back and play cards with me?" Jude called from the living room.

"Uh, yeah, just a second, baby," I hollered back. "Do you mind?"

"No, of course not! I'd love to see the little guy. Well, he's not so little any more though. He turns, what, five this year?" Sam asked back.

"Oh my God, he does! Where did all the time go?" I asked back, with a small chuckle.

"Good question. Sawyer's about six months along now. We're going to have a baby in just a few months," Sam said.

I smiled, "That's exciting!"

"Yeah, we're getting the baby's room ready and everything. We've cleared out one of the rooms in the apartment and are about start painting it. It's surreal. I don't even know how you and Dean did it…" Sam trailed off.

"It's a lot of work but trust me when I say that it's worth it. Then again, nothing worth anything every came easy," I said. "Wow, that's cliché.

"No, it's not! But how do you overcome it? The fear of having a child and everything?" Sam asked, anxiously.

I shrugged, "You never stop worrying about your child, but you do start to realize that you're not half as bad a parent as you thought you would be." Sam followed me into the living room and we sat down to play cars with Jude.

"Uncle Sammy!" Jude exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he saw his uncle. Jude walked over and gave Sam a little hug.

"Hey, buddy. Hey, do I get the camaro today?" Sam asked back.

"Nope. Mama has the camaro," Jude replied.

"Oh that's right," I said, pulling the little car out of my pocket.

Just then, the door opened and we heard footsteps until someone came into the living room. Sam and I looked to see Dean standing in the living room. Sam nodded at me to go talk to Dean so I stood up and went over to him. I followed him back into the hallway so that we could talk. I stood there, waiting for him to say what he needed to say.

"I think you're right. I think we need to see someone," Dean finally said.

I nodded slowly, "Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>Session One<strong>

"Dean, did you hear what Meredith just said?" Dr. Randolph asked.

"Uh… yeah. Sorry. I don't know, I guess," Dean mumbled.

I sighed, discontent. Dean really wasn't helping.

"Alright, well I guess that should be good for today. Should we schedule next week for Tuesday, same time?" Dr. Randolph asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear and writing yet another thing down on her clipboard. She had been scribbling on her clipboard ever since we started the session. I mean, it was our first session and I knew it was normal, but I was so curious as to what it said.

"Yeah, that'll be great. Thanks," I smiled politely. Dean and I got up and left the office.

"Dean, you could've at least said something," I started, frustrated.

"Yeah, well, I'm sorry," Dean mumbled before the two of us got into the car and went home.

**Session Two**

Dean crossed his arms over his chest and slouched on the couch.

"So tell me about yourselves? What kind of things do you do – apart from each other and your jobs. I think you need to focus on yourselves a little bit first," Dr. Randolph asked.

"I don't know. There's not much to tell about," Dean shrugged.

"I can see that we're not getting anywhere today either," I mumbled to myself. Dean shot me a look before huffing.

**Session Three**

Dean and I walked up the steps to our house after our third session with Dr. Randolph. We hadn't been getting anywhere. I talked most of the time and Dean made the occasional comment but he was just so closed off. Sure, he was starting to talk a little more but we had had three sessions and hadn't really seen any improvement. Dean and I were friendly with each other and could laugh a little, but we weren't the way we used to be.

"You know, you agreed to this, Dean. You could at least try," I sighed.

"I am trying!" Dean exclaimed back.

I bit my lip, "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. It's just that I-."

"Nice porch swing you got here. It's romantic," a voice said.

Dean and I both looked to the see who was sitting on the porch swing and I gasped as soon as I saw who it was, my eyes lighting up as I smiled.

_"Lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. And I will try to fix you..."_


	41. Therapy pt 1

"Sutton?" I asked, a grin spreading across my face as I saw the all too familiar cupid. I walked up on the porch and stood there not too far away from him, Dean at my side.

"In the flesh. Get over here," Sutton replied, pulling me into a friendly hug.

"Wait a minute. Who is Sutton?" Dean asked, tensely.

"Calm down, Dean," I warned. "He's a cupid. He helped me through what I was going through after we got engaged and I was freaking out about the deal."

"Oh," Dean said.

"Yeah," I replied, almost satisfied that he was wrong. I mean, did he really think that it was someone else? Did he really think that this was going to be a repeat of Nate? I guess it was nice to see him tense about Sutton though, before he knew who Sutton was. It meant that he still loved me. Not that I was still doubting that, it was just hard to trust Dean after what had happened.

"So I hear you two are having some trouble," Sutton said, standing up.

"We're seeing someone but Dean won't talk," I replied.

"Mer, do you have to tell everyone?" Dean groaned.

"I'm not telling everyone! I'm telling Sutton because he is a cupid and we have a problem. Somebody's got to, Dean, if we're ever going to fix this!" I exclaimed, desperately.

"Sit," Sutton said. Dean and I exchanged glances and sat on the porch swing, a couple of inches apart. Sutton looked at the gap between us and raised an eyebrow. "Wow, there really is a problem. I thought they were just rumors but apparently this whole sex thing took a huge toll on you two. And Meredith, you didn't have to kiss him!"

"I-." I began.

"That's what I'm saying!" Dean agreed. "Wait, how does he know all of these things already?"

"It's my job to know them, just like it's my job to know the two of you. That's why I'm the best therapist. I've been with the two of you since the beginning," Sutton answered straightly.

"That's not creepy at all," Dean murmured.

"Sutton, why are you here?" I asked, softly.

"Well, you two have a problem and I am your assigned cupid and it is my duty to help the two of you fix things," Sutton explained.

"Wait, our assigned cupid?" Dean asked skeptically, looking over at me.

"Yes. Apparently every couple that's "meant to be" has an assigned cupid just in case things go wrong," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Your parents did. They were meant to be together and most importantly, they were meant to have you and Sam," Sutton answered. And that's when it hit me. Was this why he was here? My eyes widened and I stood up.

"Sutton, if this is about Jude and John and fulfilling the prophecy, well, then that's already done. They're born. It's just- things seem unfixable right now so if you-," I started.

"Do you want to fix this?" Sutton asked, bossily.

"Yes!" I cried.

"Then sit," Sutton ordered. I nodded and sat back down on the porch swing a little closer to Dean. "Alright, so we're here because Dean screwed up."

"Hey!" Dean protested.

"And so did Meredith… but Dean, you kind of screwed up in a bigger way. No offense," Sutton said.

"Yeah, okay. I slept with someone but it was a meaningless one night stand. You were practically going on frickin' park dates every day with Nate. That actually means something," Dean said.

"In my defense, it started out as just talking. We were friends. We are friends. We-, I don't feel the same way that he feels about me but… yeah, you're right. They were like dates. Do I wish that it didn't happen? No, because I needed that Dean, because you weren't there!" I exclaimed.

"Hold. Before we play the blame game, I want to try to something with the two of you," Sutton interrupted.

"What?" Dean asked back.

"I'm going to take you two on a little journey. It'll be a little different than last time, Meredith. Instead of actually being there, it really is just a memory. No one will be able to hear you, see you, or know you're there. We're just observers," Sutton said.

"Wait, time travel?" Dean asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, time travel," Sutton shrugged simply, before snapping his fingers.

**~Flashback~**

_I sat at Bobby's kitchen table, my legs dangling from the chair as I finished writing the definition of another one of my spelling words. Bobby was at the kitchen counter, cutting up some apples._

_"I got more red apples for you. I know how much you hate the green ones," Bobby said._

_"Thanks, Bobby. I've just got to study some of my spelling words for tomorrow's spelling test and then I'll be finished with my homework," I said, happily scribbling down definitions of the words I was looking up._

_"Do you want any help?" Bobby asked, bringing the plate of apple slices over to me._

_"Sure," I replied contently._

_"Now Meredith, I want to talk to you about something," Bobby started._

_"What is it?" I asked, swinging my legs back and forth underneath the table. I looked up at him with my curious, unique blue eyes. _

_"We're going to have a couple of guests for the next few days. John Winchester has two boys. One's your age and the other is about four years younger. John was a friend of your mom and dad's," Bobby started._

_"He knew my mom?" I asked, my eyes lighting up with curiosity._

_"Yes, I just want you to know that they're going to be staying with us a little bit and to be nice to them, not that you wouldn't be. They're on the road all of the time because they're dad is also a hunter," Bobby said._

_"Okay, I'm going to run up to my room and get some flashcards so write my words on. Then can you test me?" I asked._

_"Sure, kiddo. You know, you're smart like your mom," Bobby replied._

_I smiled, "I am?" My face lit up in excitement just at the mention of my mother. I had seen pictures of her and she was beautiful. I wanted to be just like her. I wished with everything I had that she was still here. _

_"Yeah," Bobby replied._

_I disappeared upstairs and there was a knock on the door. Bobby went to open the door as soon as there was a knock on the door. Dean, Sam, and John walked into Bobby's house, relieved to see a regular house instead of another motel room. Dean had his leather jacket on and of course he was acting 'too cool'. Sam was only three and was adorable. There were footsteps clunking against the steps as past me descended down the stairs._

_"Bobby, I got the flashcards," I said, hurrying down the steps. I looked down at my flashcards and looked up, only for my heart to start fluttering as I made eye contact with the boy in the leather jacket that was still too big for him. I smiled as soon as I saw him. _

_"Hi," I said._

_"Hi," Dean replied, reacting the same way that I had. _

_"I'm Meredith."_

_"Dean."_

_"Wow, you must be Caleb and Adriana's daughter," John said, interrupting us._

**~End Flashback~**

"Now that must've been something. That rush… that thrill of meeting someone for the first time and just recognizing something in them. The two of you had that immediately. I'm not saying it was love at first sight, but you knew something was there," Sutton said. I gave Dean a soft look, pleading for him to at least try before returning my look to Sutton.

"Uh, yeah. It was… exhilarating. I just remember coming downstairs and seeing Dean and not knowing what hit me," I chuckled a little.

"Me too," Dean finally spoke up, surprising me. What surprised me even more was when he continued. "I could've never have seen that coming. I couldn't wait to get to Bobby's to just sleep in a house for once, but I saw you, Mer… and I had another reason to come back to Bobby's." He looked over at me and I could see the honest, vulnerable look in his eyes. He was going to do this. We were going to do this. I gave him a small smile.

Sutton seemed to be pleased with our results already.

I giggled, "You were so cute in that leather jacket that you hadn't yet grown into."

"You and those overalls," Dean smiled a little.

There was just something about those first moments – that one spark that brought everything back.

"Good, good. Why don't we move on to the next one?" Sutton proposed before we were sucked back into the next memory.

**~Flashback~**

_"This photo booth thing could be fun," he suggested, pointing to a small photo booth where people went in and it just took pictures and then printed them out on a strip of film paper. _

_I shrugged, "Yeah, sure, why not? Like you said, it could be fun," I said. Dean and I paid and then went into the small photo booth. "How do we even fit into this?"_

_"It's small, I know," Dean commented as we squished into the photo booth. There was a flash and the camera began taking pictures. The first couple of them were us just smiling and then they became silly. Dean and I began making funny faces._

_"That is the best I've ever looked," I joked._

_"Yeah, that was a really attractive face, Summers," Dean teased._

_"Hey," I said, nudging him playfully._

_Dean and I both laughed and there was another flash. We both leaned in, our foreheads touching. There was another flash. Dean glanced down at my lips and I at his. It was now or never. I leaned in farther, our lips centimeters apart from each other. Another flash. I finally closed the gap and kissed Dean. He kissed me back, pulling me closer to him. One flash. Another flash. Another flash. Dean's lips moved against mine rhythmically. The kiss was amazing. It left me with no thoughts of my mind: clarity. His hand went to my face, cupping it. He pulled me closer to him as I wrapped my arms around his neck. His other arm went around my waist, pulling me closer than ever to him. My legs draped over his lap. Last flash._

_"Your time is up," the machine said. Dean and I pulled away from each other, breathing hard. Dean Winchester, the boy I had had feelings for, for a very long time, one of my best friends, and someone who cared for me, had just kissed me in a photo booth. Dean and I had just made out in a photo booth._

_Instead of saying something, Dean and I just exchanged glances and smiled. I untangled myself from Dean and got up. He followed me out of the photo booth and I took the photos as they printed. I glanced at the strip._

_"These are some photos," I chuckled. I bit my lip and then looked at them, folding them in half and then sticking them in my back pocket._

_Dean laughed, "You're not even going to let me see them?"_

_"No," I replied, rolling my eyes playfully._

_His hand neared my back pocket but I swatted it away, "Nice try."_

_"Damn. Alright, let's get you home. You've been whining about going home all day…" Dean said._

_"I have not!" I protested._

_"Yeah you have," Dean replied, wrapping his arm around me._

_I rolled my eyes playfully as the two of us walked out of the mall. I bit my lip. I had this warm fuzzy feeling inside. I could tell that this was just the beginning of a really good._

**~End Flashback~**

Once Dean and I recovered from the memory, Sutton continued his questioning, "So tell me about this one."

"Um… well it was Dean and I's first kiss. There's not much more to say other than one minute we were laughing and goofy, then the next we kissed and I just, I never saw it coming but I remember sitting there and feeling on top of the world," I said.

Dean nodded in agreement, "Yeah. I remember the minute we looked at each other I said to myself, 'Shit, Winchester. If you don't do this, you'll never do it. You'll never know how she feels about you, man. Just do it.' And I did."

"That was a crazy day," I reminisced.

"See? The thing about couple's therapy is that you talk about yourselves and you talk about what happened. Here, we get to literally relive the happier moments. Not so bad, huh, Mr. Strong and Silent?" Sutton directed at Dean.

"Not too bad. But don't tell anyone," Dean said back. Sutton and I both chuckled.

"Alright, I won't. But I've been picking your memories so far. Why don't you pick this one, Dean?" Sutton requested.

"Uh… okay," Dean said. He thought for a moment before saying, "Okay, I got it."

Sutton immediately smiled, "That's a good one."

**~Flashback~**

_"Shhh, if anyone finds out we're here, they will kill us!" I whisper yelled at Dean. Dean had picked the lock to the school Sunday night and he and I had snuck into the school. I felt so badass yet so scared right now. What if someone busted us? I actually liked school… then again, Dean was leaving tomorrow and I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could – even if it mean breaking into the school. Dear God…  
>"Well, I have nothing to worry about because as of now, I officially do not go to school here anymore," Dean replied.<em>

"_Ugh, don't remind me," I groaned._

_"Sorry," Dean said, biting his lip as soon as he realized the effect that it had had on me. "Come on, babe. Over here." Dean grabbed my hand and pulled me into our English classroom, locking the door behind us._

_"Alright, so you either brought me here to talk, make out, or to kill me. I'm going to go head and rule out the talking part since we pretty much got all that out about you leaving, so I guess it's make out or die," I joked playfully. Dean stopped us right next to my desk and pulled out his pocket knife. "So… die?"_

_"I'm going to miss that morbid sense of humor of yours, babe," Dean smirked, pulling me in for a kiss._

_"Make out and die?" I asked, pulling away just long enough to ask my question. Dean laughed and then pulled me in for a couple more kisses before finally ending it._

_"Come on," Dean said, kneeling down on his knees so he could get a good look of the underside of my wooden desk._

_"What're you doing?" I asked, kneeling down to get a good look of what Dean was doing._

_"You know how most couples do the whole cheesy carving their initials into trees thing? Well, I figured we could do that but with your desk instead," Dean said, taking his pocket knife to the underside of the desk and beginning to cut a 'D' into it._

_"So not only are we breaking and entering the school but we're also defacing school property. Oh, I get it now. Dean Winchester, you have been bad," I teased._

_"Maybe you'll have to punish me later," Dean said, winking at me. I giggled and watched him finish his initials._

_"Okay, my turn," I said, as soon as he was done. He handed me the knife and I began to carve "MS" into the desk. I nodded, satisfied with our work as I finished my initials as well._

_"See? Now I can still be with you in school. All you'll have to do is run your hands over the initials and you'll think of me," Dean said._

_"Wow, Dean Winchester, you are quite the romantic," I pointed out, raising an eyebrow._

_"Believe me, babe. I'd much rather you running my hands over something else," Dean smirked._

_"Dean!" I exclaimed. "Way to ruin a perfectly good, romantic moment."_

_That's my name, babe. Don't wear it out," Dean shrugged._

_I giggled, "I love you, you know that? God, I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow."_

_"Me too, babe, but it's the thing that killed my mom, you know?" he asked back._

_"Of course. I get it why you have to leave, I do. I'm just selfish and wish you could stay with me," I replied._

_"I do too. Maybe… if I get back," Dean replied._

_I smiled weakly, "Will you?"_

_"I sure as hell hope so," Dean replied._

_"Me too," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in for another kiss._

**~End Flashback~**

"So, Dean, tell me about that memory," Sutton started.

"Why me?" Dean asked.

"Well, it's your memory. Why'd you pick it?" Sutton rebutted.

"Yeah…" Dean sighed. "Uh, well, it was the day before I had to leave and I wanted to make some big romantic gesture. I mean, I never thought I'd feel that way in high school you know… I never thought I'd love someone and it was just this big, weird feeling that I couldn't control so I did stuff like that. And then when I said goodbye, I knew I wasn't coming back… and it sucked."

"Why'd you pick this one though?" Sutton asked.

"I don't know. I guess… to tell you that I'm not good with words, Mer. I don't know how to say it the way that Sammy does or anything but, I do love you. I do stuff – like that – that is all chick flicky but I still do it because I love you. I mean, I couldn't even tell that I wasn't going to come back," Dean sighed.

I nodded, "I know."

"Hm… you're not good with words. That's interesting," Sutton said, before we jumped to another memory.

**~Flashback~**

_"Now, if you'd like to say some of your own words-," the priest started. _

_"Oh, we didn't prepare anything," I started, alarmed._

_"No wait, I want to say something," Dean said, stopping me. I, honestly, was caught off guard. Dean was never a man of words when it came down to romance. But I was definitely willing to hear him out._

_"Okay," I said back, shocked and almost light headed. _

_"Meredith, before I met you, I was a smart ass kid who didn't know when to shut up. Hell, I still am! I hate chick flicks, I hate girly stuff, and I'm pretty immature sometimes. But today's the day I grow up. I know that I am reckless, I do really dumb stuff, and I have no filter but I want to thank you for loving me just for that. I love you, Mer. You get me when no one else does. You take me for who I am, you don't try to change me, and most of all, you love me no matter what. You've been one of the only real things in my life. You've been there for me when no one else understood, you taught me how to open up to someone and how to love. And that it's okay to ask for help sometimes. You remind me that I'm going to leave this world with more than just Bobby and Sammy, no offense," Dean said, looking deeply into my eyes._

_I chuckled and looked down as Bobby and Sam shook their heads. I could feel my eyes tearing up at his words. I laughed nervously but my heart was soaring. As my eyes met Dean's again, it was as if the world had gone grey and there was no one else but me and Dean._

_"Dean, God, words can't even describe how you make me feel. No one has ever made me feel the way you do you, when I'm with you it's like the world is grey and you and I are the only ones in the world. Some people may say that we're crazy and that this marriage has a time limit on it but… I don't care. Because if I were to die tomorrow, I'd want to be married to you. You make me feel alive, and good, and happier than I've ever been. I love you and I can't to spend the rest of the time that you have with you," I said back. Dean looked like he wanted to kiss me right now and we were seconds away from that._

_The priest smiled, "Well, by the authority vested in me by the state of South Dakota, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."_

_"It's about damn time," Dean smirked, pulling me in for a slow, romantic, passionate kiss. I closed my eyes and kissed him back. I was pretty sure this was the best kiss I had ever received in my life. We both pulled away and I giggled as Dean pressed his forehead against mine. Our wedding guests clapped and cheered because the ceremony was complete._

_"We're married," I said, in disbelief._

_"It's crazy, right?" Dean asked, grinning from ear to ear._

_I nodded and smiled and then leaned in to kiss him again._

**~End Flashback~**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **There will be a part 2 that I'm working on right now and it will pick up RIGHT where this one left off.


	42. Never Gonna Leave This Bed

**A/N: **A nice long chapter to tie things up. Enjoy! PLEASE listen to Never Gonna Leave This Bed by Maroon 5.

* * *

><p><strong>~Flashback~<strong>

_"So, things have been pretty… weird lately huh?" Dean asked._

_"Yes. It may have something to do with half the time it's like we don't know how to act around each other because there's so much between us and then the other half of the time we're yelling at each other," I replied._

_"Yeah… sorry about that. This whole thing with dad has got me acting like a moody teenager," Dean chuckled. "Um, being mad at you… I don't know. God, I suck at this whole sharing feelings thing."_

_"Fine, I'll go first," I said. "Being mad at you has partially had to do with the fact that you get irked. But also because… Dean being around you is so confusing. We have so much… and you were my first love. I'll never forget that. And then seeing you… God, it's been almost ten years and I still… feel the same. If you don't, I totally understand." I looked down, blushing. I couldn't believe that I had actually admitted that._

_"No, don't," Dean said, placing two fingers underneath my chin, bringing my face up to look him straight in the eyes._

_"I feel the same," Dean said back. "I just don't know… how to be around if. If… even if this would be a good idea. I hunt, Meredith. I could put you in danger."_

_"And I can take care of myself," I reminded._

_"But at the same time, I'd be away all the time. I wouldn't be able to be that stable boyfriend that you need," Dean said._

_I nodded slowly, "So what're you saying?" I asked._

_"I'm saying that I still love you, but could this even work?" he asked back._

_"Well, we'll never know until we try," I replied. "And I love you too."_

_Dean bit his lip, "So what're you saying?" he asked._

_"I'm saying I want to give us another shot. If you want to," I replied._

_"I do too," he said back._

_I smiled, "Okay."_

_"And there's one more thing," Dean said._

_"Oh?" I asked back._

_"When I left you in the hotel that morning… I really, really am sorry for that. I didn't want to," Dean started._

_"No, I know," I replied._

_"But-, but before we left in high school, your dad talked to me. That morning that my dad told you guys we were leaving. He asked me to leave you alone till after you were done with school. I was supposed to wait until after college but I couldn't. That night when we talked about you having a future, I knew that I had to leave because if I stayed any longer, I would've wanted to keep you with me and you just had so much ahead of you. I didn't want to keep you from that," Dean explained._

_"Ugh, I cannot believe he did," I scoffed._

_"Look, don't be mad at him," Dean started._

_"He was only looking out for me," I completed. I nodded. "Dad was irrational. He did everything he could to protect his children but… it was because he cared. That finally sunk in after he died. It just, kind of sucks that you stayed away."_

_"I wanted you to-," Dean said._

_"No, I know. You wanted me to have a future. I get it, Dean. I just missed you a lot. I won't lie. In high school… I wanted, or at least I thought about a future, with you," I admitted._

_"And now we can have it," he replied, a smirk on his face._

_"Oh yeah?" I asked, raising my eyebrows._

_"Yeah," he replied, pulling me in for a kiss._

_I kissed him back and God, it was intoxicating. I had missed Dean Winchester so much. I closed my eyes and just enjoyed the kiss. He pulled me in closer and I wrapped my arms around his neck. His hands moved from my ribcage and then down to my hips._

_As much as I hated it, I pulled away, "Hey, um, if we do this… again. I need to take things slow."_

_"Okay," Dean nodded, leaning in for another kiss._

_"Wait," I said. "You're okay with this?"_

_"Yeah. We're taking things slowly. That doesn't mean I can't kiss you," Dean said._

_"Okay," I replied. I leaned in and kissed him. And for once, I felt truly happy again._

**~End Flashback~**

"Not good with words, huh? I think your wedding vows beg to differ. And when you and Meredith got back together, the words just flowed. It was easy for the two of you to say 'I love you' which isn't an easy thing for most people to say. But you two did," Sutton said.

"That was our wedding… those were the things that I wanted to promise her," Dean said.

"And me too. It's… the way I felt and the way I still feel about you, Dean," I admitted. It felt like that hard wall of dislike and resentment for Dean was finally chipping away.

"It was easy to say 'I love you' because… we've been through so much," Dean said.

"Yeah. I think I was so sick of fighting with you that… that the words just came easily," I shrugged.

"Sounds familiar, doesn't it? This isn't the first time the two of you have had outrageous fights, is it?" Sutton asked.  
><strong><br>~Flashback~**

_"Most hunters come through that door think they can get in my pants with some... pizza, a six pack, and side one of Zeppelin IV," I overheard Jo say._

_"Well… what a bunch of scumbags," Dean said. Dean looked up as Meredith approached him with Sam. He felt guilty. He hadn't planned on hitting on Jo. The words had just kind of slipped out of his mouth. Old habits die hard?_

_"Not you," Jo joked._

_"I guess not," Dean said. He looked over to see me and Sam standing over by the pool table which was close to the window. I looked over at him and then looked away. "I guess it's always good for a one night stand though."_

_"Yeah, you sure love those," Sam muttered._

_"Seriously?" Dean asked, as if we were blowing his chance with Jo. I tried to contain my jealousy._

_I shrugged, "I don't know. Sometimes one night stands are nice. No strings attached and you can just leave in the morning. You don't have to deal with whiny, 'I love you' relationship stuff."_

_Sam looked over at me with a furrowed brow. Even I was surprised that I had said that. I could see Dean tense up. I hadn't meant to hurt him by saying that. It had just sort of come out. I knew he'd have a retort and I was anxiously awaiting this one._

_"I don't know. As much as I like a no strings attached hook up as the rest of us guys do, sleeping with someone you already know is kind of nice. You care about them, you know who they are, where to touch, kiss… what makes them scream…" Dean said, raising his eyebrows challengingly and looking over at me._

_Jo and Sam both shifted uncomfortably. They knew they had gotten themselves caught in the middle of yet another one of me and Dean's cross fires._

_I sighed, "But at the same time, you have to worry about feelings and crap. One night stands are just a night of great sex and careless fun."_

_"Whatever," Dean said._

_"Is that all?" I asked, through gritted teeth._

_"Yeah," Dean spat._

_"Good," I replied._

_"Fine," Dean said back._

_"Fine," I said. He was not going to get the last word. Dean glared at me._

_"Can I borrow you for a second?" he asked, although it did not sound like a question. He got up from his place and grabbed me by the arm, pulling me after him. As soon as the two of us got out of the Roadhouse I jerked away from him._

_"Don't touch me!" I demanded, angrily._

_"What, baby? You used to love it when I touched you," Dean teased. Dean stood behind me and got closer. I could feel his lips on my ear as he whispered, "If I recall correctly you would scream my name." No matter how much I hated him at the moment, I was still greatly physically attracted to him. I turned around and pushed him away from me._

_"Ugh! I hate you!" I practically screamed. "Jesus, Dean. Is that why you brought me out here? To taunt me with sexual innuendos and endlessly torture me?"_

_"Jesus, what's your problem, Meredith?" Dean asked back._

_"What's my problem? What is my problem? You are my problem, Dean Winchester. You are such a, God, forget about it," I said, rolling my eyes._

_"No, tell me," Dean demanded._

_"Ever since I got here you've mentioning sex every other second and have been trying to push me over the edge. And then you start flirting with Jo. You hit on practically every woman we've seen so far. Do you want to drive me insane? Do you think I like being here? No, but Bobby called me because he's been worried about you. For just one second if you could think about someone but yourself!" I screamed._

_"Oh right, what a martyr," Dean said, sarcastically._

_"Fuck you, Dean," I spat. There was this fire burning in my belly. I just couldn't stop saying the hurtful the words that were coming out of my mouth._

_"Really? I'm being selfish here?" Dean asked._

_"Yes! Ughh! You'd think that after two times in a row that I'd learn my lesson but here I am, Dean. Obviously you don't see that I care and you know what? I hate caring about you, Dean. I hate fucking caring about you because it only screws me over. And I wish I didn't. I really wish that I didn't but I do and it sucks," I said._

_"Wow, they're really mad at each other," Jo said, from inside the Roadhouse._

_"Yeah…" Sam trailed off. "That is a very, very long story."_

_"I have time," Jo said, straightening up in her seat by the window._

_"You're the one who came over," Dean argued._

_"Oh right, this is all my fault now. Just because I wanted to see what you guys were talking about-, yes, I was curious okay?" I said, defensively._

_"Curiosity killed the cat," Dean shrugged._

_"Argh!" I practically screamed._

_"Look, sure, I've been out of line but you don't think I'm going through shit too?" Dean asked._

_"Oh please, I know you're going through shit but that doesn't give you an excuse to be such a dick. At least you could do is talk about it but wait, I forgot you too manly to talk about it. I should've never come here in the first place," I said, walking away._

_"Then fine," Dean said back._

_"Fine," I replied, storming off. Although it felt good to get away from Dean it also hurt that he didn't follow me. He didn't even try to stop me._

_"Meredith, get your ass back here!" Dean yelled. I kept walking. He had to ask nicely._

_"Meredith, wait," Dean said, sincerely this time. I stopped in my tracks. God, as much as I hated him, he still had me I the palm of his hands. I didn't say anything. I just stood there. "How are you going to get back?"_

_"I'll walk if I have to," I yelled. I kept walking away as I heard quick footsteps behind me. Dean grabbed me by the wrist and I tried to pull away from him. "God, Dean leave me the fuck alone, just get off of me!"_

_Instead of doing what I asked, Dean just pulled me into him and wrapped his arms around me. I struggled against him and then when I knew it was no use, gave in. I just stood there and he held me to him. I could hear his heart beat, a sound that I used to love and was too ashamed and proud to admit that I still did. I stood there, my arms dangling at my sides. I did not want him to know that this meant anything. My face was squished against his chest. So what? He thought that this was going to make everything better?_

_"Please, stay with me. We could really use your help," Dean said. I pulled away from him gently and looked up into his eyes. This was one of those rare, emotionally vulnerable moments that Dean had had._

_I swallowed, knowing that I would regret this later, "Okay."_

**~End Flashback~**

"Why'd you go back, Meredith? You could've easily left and been through with Dean and his attitude back then. Why'd you stay?" Sutton asked me.

I sighed, "Because you needed me, Dean and honestly, I think I needed you too. I needed answers… I needed to know if there was still something there. We were always yelling and we hadn't gotten a chance to even acknowledge the way we left things. I love you, Dean. I couldn't leave you like that either."

"I was such a dick," Dean said, shaking his head.

"You were hurt," I said, defending him. Woah. Was I defending Dean? "God, I can remember the day you stopped calling… it broke my heart. I thought maybe you found someone else. Someone better… someone with more experience…"

"Ah. That brings me right into our next memory," Sutton said.  
><strong><br>~Flashback~**

_The woman on top of Dean moaned loudly as Dean thrust up with his hips, hard. Dean moaned out in pleasure and the woman collapsed on the bed next to him._

_"Damn, baby," the woman smirked, looking over at Dean, wrapping the motel sheet around her body._

_"Yeah," Dean said, panting heavily. Sure, she was good. The sex was great. She was so… experienced, but she was no Meredith. She didn't make him feel the way Meredith always did after sex. _Cut it out, dude. You just had great sex with this hot chick. She deserves your attention._ Dean turned on his side, facing the wall and closed his eyes, trying not to think of Meredith.  
><em>  
><strong>~End Flashback~<strong>

"Dean, would you care to explain?" Sutton asked.

"Uh, sure. It was my first time after you," Dean said, looking at me.

"Oh," I said back.

"It was just some chick I met at a bar. It was awkward after wards. I was so used to talking to you for hours after and holding you… but this was what a one night stand was and I just… I just accepted it. It was so much different than what it was like with you," Dean replied.

"Meredith, do you remember your first after Dean?" Sutton asked,

"Oh God," I groaned, dreading what was about to come next.

**~Flashback~  
><strong>  
><em>"God, you're hot," the guy groaned, kissing me and leading me down to the bed of his dorm. It was the beginning of my freshmen year at Syracuse and I had just attended my third college party.<em>

_"Uh, you too," I mumbled uncomfortably. He began to kiss down my neck and I breathed out a sigh. His kisses were sloppy – mind you that we were both drunk – but still. He didn't know where to kiss like Dean did. Damn it. I had to stop thinking about Dean! I focused all of my efforts on this guy and pushed any thoughts of Dean out of my mind._

_Oliver broke the kiss just long enough for us both to remove our shirts. Oliver quickly undid his pants and then began to work at my jeans. I kept telling myself to focus on him but I just couldn't._

_"Oliver, I'm sorry, I can't," I said, pushing him off of me and standing up. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair._

_"What- what's- did I do something wrong?" the guy stuttered._

_"Uh, no. It's not you… it's me. I'm sorry. That's so cliché. I know. I just, I don't think I can do this. Not tonight," I replied._

_"Oh," Oliver replied, not bothering to hide his disappointment._

_"I think you should go," I said._

**~End Flashback~**

"God, it was more like a first failed attempt! I just… I couldn't do it. I kept thinking about you and… it was just… not good," I sighed.

"Why is that?" Sutton asked.

"Because sex means something to me," I replied. "That's part of the trouble that I'm having with this whole thing. Dean, I guess I keep thinking that since you slept with someone else, it meant something because sex means something to me."

"One night stands don't to me, Mer. We see things differently. Sex with you means something, but sex with other women doesn't. It's just… it was just comfort," Dean replied.

I nodded slowly, "You're right. We do see things different and I should think about your point of view more often. I get it, I do. It just still hurts."

"I know, and I'm sorry. If I could take it back, I would. I was just so upset and you and I were fighting… and I found comfort in the only thing I felt like I could do right," Dean admitted.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"Why are you sorry?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. Part of me feels like I drove you to that. I wasn't there for you and we fought, and I was always running to Nate which was not fair to you," I replied.

"Mer, if it were anybody, I drove you towards Nate. You asked me to stay and you told me that our family needed me and I just left," Dean said.

"Yeah, well I've started to see that you and I handle things totally differently. I wanted to give you time, Dean, but then it just became too much," I said back.

"I know that now. I should've been there for you, John, and Jude. I was just… too proud," Dean replied.

"Well, I'm glad that you two are talking but we should move on to the next memories. If this one gets too much, tell me and we'll stop but it's important to precede the actual memory I want to get to," Sutton said.

In an instant, we were watching Dean's death. He was being torn apart by hellhounds and it was absolutely heart wrenching to watch. I hadn't been there when it happened because Dean had asked me not to go since I was pregnant. I put my left hand over my mouth as I gasped. I teared up as Dean yelled for me. I felt Dean's hand slip into mine and he gave it a tight squeeze. I looked over at him and he looked like all he wanted to do was comfort me right now.

"Dean, I wish I could've been there for you," I finally said.

"I asked you not to for Jude. You were pregnant, Mer," Dean reminded.

"I'm so sorry," I said.

"And now for what I want to show you. It was the beginning of a new chapter in the your relationship," Sutton introduced.

**~Flashback~**

_"Come with me," I said back. I took Dean's hand and led him up the stairs to the nursery. I opened the door quietly, careful not to wake Jude up and Dean and I stood over his crib. As soon as Dean saw the baby he gasped._

_"Meredith," Dean began softly._

_"I want you to meet your son, Dean. This is Jude Robert Winchester," I introduced._

_"Oh my God," Dean trailed off._

_"Congratulations, Daddy," I said back._

_"Wow, he's beautiful," Dean whispered. He looked over at me and I looked over at him. Jude began to stir in his crib and his eyes began to open._

_"I guess he recognizes his daddy. Do you want to hold him?" I asked._

_"Yeah," Dean replied, his eyes filled with happiness._

_"He was born August eighth, he's about a month and ten days so far. Sam came to the delivery. He'd been going off and showing up for all the doctor's appointments, but, I knew he wouldn't miss the birth of his nephew. He stayed for a couple of days after Jude was born before taking off again. Jude doesn't go without family though. He has me and everyone at the Falcon. And now he'll have you, Dean," I said._

_"He has your eyes," Dean said._

_I giggled, "I think he looks just like you. He's a lot like you in other regards as well. He's stubborn, just like his father. Oh, and sometimes he'll only fall asleep if I play him some Led Zeppelin."_

_"That may have something to do with the fact that every time you fell asleep I'd turn off that classical crap and put Zep on," Dean chuckled._

_I laughed, "Dean!"_

_"What? My baby has to have good taste in music when he grows up. Isn't that right?" he asked, looking at Jude. Jude reached up to touch his father's face and Dean was grinning._

_"He's perfect, Meredith," Dean said, looking up at me._

_I nodded, "Yeah, he is, isn't he?" Dean and I exchanged glances and Dean kissed me softly._

_"He's ours… we... that's our baby? After all this time. Wow," Dean was still amazed._

**~End Flashback~**

"It's obvious that the two of you love each other. So why all this nonsense? You two were hurting, but usually you're there for each other. What went wrong this time?" Sutton asked.

"I think I just wanted my old Dean back but you kept leaving and Nate happened to come into the picture and he was my shoulder to lean on. I mean, you're always my shoulder to lean on so when you weren't there, I really began to depend on him. Believe me, Dean, I wish it had been you. I'm sorry. Nate was a good friend of mine and that's all I intended on," I replied.

"I know. I know he was just a friend and I overreacted. You kissed him back because he was good to you in the way I should've been and you were hurt," Dean said. "As for me, well, honestly Mer, when you called me John it got me thinking. I don't want to my father but you were right. I was or am - I don't even know – turning into and part of me thought that if I slept with her, you'd have a reason to be mad at me. It'd be easier to push me out of your life and that you, John, and Jude would just be better off without me."

"No, Dean. I was stupid for calling you John. You're not John. I was mad at you but you need to know that you're an amazing father! Even if you can't see it, everyone else does. Jude worships you, Dean. How is that not enough for you to see how great of a father you are to these boys?" I asked.

"But do we really want Jude to grow up to be someone like me?" Dean asked.

"Yes!" I replied.

"I doubt that," Dean muttered.

"Why's that?" I asked, furrowing my brow.

"Because… I just want you to look at me the same way you used to. I don't want you to see this monster anymore… and I certainly don't want Jude to grow up to be that monster," Dean said.

I shook my head, "I'm sorry if I've been looking at you that way…"

"You're too good to me, Mer. I hurt you and-," Dean started.

"You forgave me so it's my turn to forgive you and I do. I can see your side and I see that you were trying in therapy," I interjected.

"But why are you letting me off the hook so easily?" Dean asked. "I hate myself for it, mer. I do."

I shook my head laughing a little, "Because I think you've hated yourself long enough. Besides, I'm not letting you off the hook easily at all. We've fought so much, and been through so much in the past month. We're… this is hardly 'easily'."

Dean chuckled a little, "You're right. We have been through a lot, haven't we?"

"Yeah," I said back.

"Well, it looks like my work here is done," Sutton said, satisfied.

"Thank you, again," I said.

"Yeah, thanks. I never thought I'd talk about my feelings with another dude, but hey," Dean started.

"There's a first time for everything," I said, completing his sentence. Dean and I exchanged glances and laughed.

"That's my job," Sutton said, before disappearing into thin air.

* * *

><p><em>"You pushed me. I don't have the strength to resist or control you. So take me down, take me down…"<em>

Jude was at a sleepover at Andre's house that night and Sawyer and Sam were watching John. They usually took the kids on days that we had therapy. I went into the guest room, where I had been sleeping, and began making the bed.

"Hey," Dean said, seeing me.

"Oh, hi," I said, startled, as I turned around to see Dean.

"What're you up to?" he asked.

"Not much. Just making the bed. Because I forgot about it earlier this morning," I said back, smoothing out the comforter.

"I see," Dean said.

Ever since Sutton left earlier this evening, this had been good between Dean and I. I mean, we weren't back to normal or anything but we were past the friendly, civil stage. I was finally allowing my romantic feelings for Dean to arise again. I didn't want to suppress them the way I had had to.

_"You hurt me. But do I deserve this? You make me so nervous. Calm me down…"_

"Is that new?" he asked.

"What? Oh, this dress? Yeah," I said, looking down at my navy blue dress. It had buttons at the front and was an empire waist dress.

"I like it," Dean commented, boyish and awkward.

I giggled, "I actually uh, I bought it for you."

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Need any help with the bed?" Dean offered.

"Um, no. I'm almost done but I was thinking and I thought maybe you and I could try out the bed together, tonight," I said, smoothing over the bed.

"Oh, you did?" Dean asked.

"Only if you want to. If you think it's too fast," I started, nervously.

"No, no. I don't…" Dean said, a goofy, awkward smile on his face when he didn't know what to say.

I giggled, "Well, um, okay. Well, why don't you get in here then?"

"Or we could just sleep in the bedroom- our bedroom," Dean said.

"That's true," I said.

"You know, I never got a chance to tell you with Sutton, but your heart is overwhelming sometimes, Mer. You're always there for me. Always. I'm amazed how you're always able to be so giving. I get you had every reason to be that way when I couldn't be there for you," Dean said.

"Thanks," I mumbled.

"And if I haven't said it lately, you're sexy as hell, Meredith," Dean said. I turned around, biting my lip as I looked at Dean. He was the one that looked sexy as hell. Dean and I both moved towards each other, finally finding each other in a passionate, hungry kiss. Dean's hands were all over my body and I wasn't complaining at all.

"_So come here and never leave this place. Perfection of your face slows me down, slows me down. So fall down. I need you to trust me. Go easy, don't rush me and help me out…"_

"You want to see what else is new?" I asked. Dean raised an eyebrow and I unbuttoned some of the buttons on my dress, revealing a black bra with white lace trim.

"So sexy," Dean whispered. "I think we should take this to the bedroom. Our bedroom."

"Me too," I moaned. Dean grabbed my hand and we practically sprinted downstairs to our room. I practically ripped my dress off while straddling Dean and taking off his shirt. Dean and I kissed quickly and desperately, in hungry need for each other. It had honestly been too long. Dean reached around to unclasp my bra and was surprised to find no clasp. I smirked, pulling away from him and undid my bra from the front. "I got clasp in the front one just to see if you noticed."

"Sneaky, Mrs. Winchester," Dean smirked.

The next couple of hours were heaven. Dean and I spent them just catching up. God, it had been amazing release – literally – to make love to my husband again. Finally, after a few rounds, we called it quits and just laid there for a while. Dean had his arms wrapped around me as I lay on my side and he lay on his side to match me.

_"Wake you up in the middle of the night to say, I will never walk away again. I'm never gonna leave this bed. You say you go. It isn't worth it and I say no. It isn't perfect so I stay and still I'm never gonna leave this bed…"_

"I love you," Dean said.

"I love you too," I said back. "God, it feels good to finally say those words to you again."

"Yeah, you too, baby," Dean said, sighing out of happiness. I looked behind me at Dean.

"I hope you don't think that I look at you like you're a monster because I don't think you are one. I think you're lost but that doesn't change the way that I feel about you. I love you, Dean. I do and I don't want to look at you that way," I said.

"That look on your face right now, that's so different than the way we've looked at each other. It's... I see it now,' Dean said.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Mm, just about how I never want to leave this bed. I'll never walk away from you like I did, Mer. It was stupid and the day I married you I promised you I wouldn't pull that shit anymore but I mean it this time. Not that I didn't before, but you know what I mean!" Dean said. I giggled at his little mishap. "I love you so much and this right here… this is it for me. It's all I need. I promise."

"You're all I need too, babe," I smiled, happily. I had my husband back. My Dean.

_"Take it. Take it all. Take all that I have…"_


	43. Sunday Morning

A/N: Alright, so I'm going to be deviating from the show in a way right now. As of now, we don't know if Bobby's dead or not, and as sad as it was, and as much as I miss him, I would like to give him some closure. If Bobby chose to come back as a ghost, I'd feel bad because he didn't get to move on, which is what he deserves! Besides, like the said, when ghosts come back, they're never truly themselves.

Happy reading and thanks!

LINEBREAK

_"Sunday morning rain is falling. Steal some covers share some skin. Clouds are shrouding us in moments unforgettable. You twist to fit the mold that I am in…"  
><em>

"Alright, I just put Jude to bed. I had to reread him the story over and over again before he finally fell asleep," Dean said, holding one of Jude's books in his hands.

"Thank you so much. I think that Jude's missed you a lot and so that was reassuring for him. He's ecstatic that things are getting back to normal," I said.

"We've had a week of normal to reassure him," Dean reminded.

"Yeah. It's been good having you home," I sighed happily. "Ugh, but I'm exhausted. So thanks again for reading Jude a story tonight. John was out like a light bulb but Jude, you know, he's harder to put to sleep."

"I hope you're not too tired for this," Dean said, pulling me into his arms and pressing his body close to mine. Dean smirked down at me and I bit my lip.

"You know, maybe I can try to wake up for it. Or you could wake me up," I said back, suggestively.

"I would love to wake you up, Mrs. Winchester," Dean replied, leaning down to kiss me. Our lips were inches apart and it was driving me crazy. I could feel his breath against my lips and my heart was fluttering.

"Dean," I moaned out and he finally crashed his lips against mine, instantly leading me down to our bed. Dean licked my bottom lip, begging for entrance. Instead of obliging like I usually did, I kept my mouth closed and waited to see what Dean would do. Dean slid his hands under my shirt and grinded down on me, casing me to gasp again as he slipped his tongue into my mouth. In between kisses, I said, "Fine. You win."

"I always do, baby," he gloated smugly.

Dean broke the kiss so that he could take my shirt of and his eyes hungrily roamed my half naked torso. He smirked before closing the gap and kissing me again, deepening the kiss this time. My hands worked at the buttons on his shirt, sliding his plaid button down off of him. Dean took the neck of his tshirt and pulled it off before throwing it elsewhere on the floor. I smiled at Dean as he returned to me, our warm skin touching.

My skin felt like it was on fire and he was my remedy. Dean moved down the bed, unbuttoning my pants and sliding them down my legs. Dean moved back up to me and I kicked off my pants, letting them join the rest of our clothes on the floor. I then turned us over so that Dean was on the bottom, practically ripping his pants off. I was in for a long night…

"_But things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do. And I would gladly hit the road, get up and go if I knew, that someday it would lead me back to you…"_

Sex with Dean had always been mind blowing but it had been even better ever since we made up. Dean and I lay in bed, tangled up in each other and in the sheets. I laughed as Dean said something.

"Dean, do you think we're ever going to get back to where we used to be? I mean, it feels like we are already," I asked, curiously.

"No," Dean answered. Oh. Well, that was surprising. "I think we're going to be better." I smile spread across my face and I just kissed Dean in response. Dean smirked into the kiss and kissed me back before pulling away to say something. "Already up for another round?"

"Another round? You could really go for another round?" I asked, shocked.

"You should know by now, baby, that I could fuck you all night long," Dean said, into my ear, sending shivers down my back.

"Ooh," I sounded, giggling a little.

"It's true. I have the endurance of a wild bull," Dean joked.

I laughed, "Dean, I don't think that's something you'd want to compare yourself to."

"A wild stallion. There, how about that?" Dean offered up. I giggled and just shook my head at Dean. He was so silly but that's why I loved him. He made me laugh and he made me feel good in a way that no one else could – not just physically.

"That sounds good, you wild stallion, you," I teased.

"What're you thinking about?" Dean asked.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"Nothing, you just have your pensive face on," Dean replied.

"I don't have a pensive face!" I protested.

"Yes, you do. It goes something like this," Dean said, doing an impression of my supposed 'pensive face'.

"I do not do that!" I exclaimed, playfully.

"Sure," Dean replied, unconvinced.

I sighed, "I'm uh, well, if I tell you, you have to promise not to make fun of me, okay? It's kind of… lame…"

"I won't, baby. I promise," Dean said.

"It's just- here with you, right now, all I can think of are these lines of poetry… 'I love thee to the level of everyday's/Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light./I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;/I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise./I love thee with a passion put to use/In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.' I told you it was stupid. I've been reading a lot of her stuff lately and… It's just, you make me think of that sonnet," I admitted.

"No, babe, that was beautiful," Dean said.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't really know what it means but you sounded hot reciting some of that Shakespeare shit," Dean replied. I hit him playfully.

"Dean, it's not Shakespeare! That was Emily Barrett Browning," I reminded.

"Who?" Dean asked.

"Here," I said, getting out of bed and getting the book off of our bookshelf.

"Oh, so that's why we have that bookshelf in our bedroom," Dean said, propping himself up on his elbow.

"What?" I asked, getting back in bed.

"Well, for you to seduce me with poetry… and for you to get out of bed all naked and sexy," Dean smirked.

I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully, "Here's the sonnet. I know it's mushy and everything…" I showed him the book and he glanced over it a couple of times.

"So basically you just really love me?" Dean asked.

I laughed, "Yes. Basically, I just really love you." I tackled Dean to the bed and kissed him again and again and again. "You know, this is a total chick flick moment right now. You and me in bed with poetry."

Dean shrugged, "After all that sex, I can allow one or two chick flick moments… just for you."

"Hm, maybe we should have sex more often," I giggled.

"I will not disagree with that!" Dean smirked, rolling us over so that I was on the bottom. Dean leaned down and kissed me sweetly.

"_That may be all I need. In darkness, she is all I see. Come and rest your bones with me. Driving slow on Sunday morning and I never want to leave…"_

LINEBREAK

"_Fingers trace your every outline. Paint a picture with my hands. Back and forth we sway like branches in a storm. Change the weather, still together when it ends…"_

The next morning, my eyes fluttered open and I reached over to the other side of the bed to find Dean gone. My eyes sprang open, alarmed. I took a deep breath. There was nothing to worry about. Dean wouldn't leave. We had made up. Things were good between us. I heard the clang of dishes in the house and felt relieved. I got up, put on a bra, underwear, tshirt and shorts before heading out of our bedroom.

"Morning, beautiful," Dean greeted as soon as he saw me. He had the stove going and was making pancakes.

"Daddy is making pancakes. He said that he would make breakfast because you always take care of us and he didn't want to wake you up!" Jude announced.

"Well, thank you," I said back. I walked right over to Dean and kissed him, passionately. "Good morning, you."

"Mm, kiss me like that again sometime, okay?" Dean asked.

I smiled, "Okay."

"I hope I didn't worry you this morning. Jude was up and I figured that I'd start on breakfast," Dean replied.

"No, why would I have to worry?" I asked back, playing dumb. Instead of letting him respond, I just changed the subject. "Need help with anything?"

"Nope. Almost done here," Dean replied.

"Look at you. You already have the coffee going and everything. You're quite the home maker this morning, Dean," I pointed out.

Dean shrugged, "No problem."

"Mama, come over and color with me," Jude urged.

"Okay, one sec. It's pouring outside, Dean!" I said, sitting down. I almost felt like I was in this weird, alternate universe where everything was perfect and my husband was cooking. I sat down and Jude gave me some crayons and paper to color with.

"Yeah, I'd take Jude out to the park today if it wasn't so bad outside. How about we go out next weekend to the park or something, buddy?" Dean asked his son.

"Yeah. Let's go, Daddy!" Jude cheered. I looked over at John in his high chair and emptied out some more cheerios onto his high chair tray.

"Mama," John babbled.

"Yes, baby? Do you want some more cheerios? See? Mmm, cheerios," I encouraged. Instead, John just picked them up and threw them at me. One hit my face and John cracked up in laughter. "You think that's funny do you." John just continued to laugh.

"Funny, Mama," he laughed. I took some of his cheerios and his them behind my back.

"Oh no! Where'd they go? All gone!" I said.

"There!" John said, pointing to me.

"Where?" I asked.

"There, Mama!" John said.

"Here?" I asked, surprised. I pulled out my hand from my behind my back and showed him the cheerios. "You found the! Ohh you're too smart for me, kiddo." John just continued to laugh hysterically.

"Yeah, once again, these boys get the whole smart thing from you," Dean said, kissing my cheek and coming over to the table and sitting down next to me, placing the book that was on the table in his seat off to the side. He set down the plate of pancakes.

"Mine?" John asked.

"Oh, you just want the good stuff, huh?" I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Yeah, he does. He got that from me," Dean bragged, proudly.

"Okay, Jude, I'm coloring. I promise. How would you feel if I made the dragon blue instead of red?" I asked.

"You can me him blue that way I can have the red dragon and Daddy can have the green dragon," Jude delegated.

"What about your brother?" I asked.

"I'm making him a special dragon with stripes _and_polkadots," Jude replied.

"Hey, how come I don't get a dragon with stripes and polkadots?" Dean asked teasingly. Dean distributed breakfast onto our plates. I gasped as soon as I saw the book on the table. "What?"

"Dean is that a book…?" I asked, in surprise.

"Yeah, so?" Dean asked back simply.

"Dean, that's my Emily Barrett Browning sonnet collection. You were reading that this morning?" I asked, still shocked.

Dean shrugged, "Well after last night, I figured that poetry was kind of sexy. I thought maybe I'd pick one out to seduce you with."

"Dean Winchester, is that a way to talk in front of your son?" I asked.

"He's gotta learn sometime, don't ya, buddy?" Dean asked back, high fiving his son. Jude reached up and high fived his dad with his little hand.

"Does that mean that you're going to get Mommy to kiss you more?" Jude asked, curiously.

"Something like that," Dean said, winking over at me.

"Jude, I thought you didn't like kissing. I thought it grossed you out. Don't tell me you're growing up on me already," I added.

"I don't but I would rather you and Daddy kissed all the time than fighting. I like this more. I don't like it when you get mad at each other," Jude replied.

"Well it's a good thing that your mom and I have made up over and over and over and-," Dean started, before I elbowed him to stop talking. Dean always had sex on the brain.

"Thank you, Dean for making breakfast. This is actually really good," I complimented.

"No problem, babe," Dean said. Just then, Dean's phone rang. "Hey, I should take this. It's Sam."

"Yeah, okay," I said, while I let Dean go.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"_But things just get so crazy, living life gets hard to do. Sunday morning rain is falling and I'm calling out to you. Singing, "Someday it'll bring me back to you." Find a way to bring myself back home to you…" _

Sawyer sat against the headboard of their bed next to Sam in the same position as the two of them read through baby name books.

"You are a genius, you know that? You and these baby name books!" Sawyer cried out, laughing as she flipped through all the names.

"Thanks, babe," Sam smiled, looking over at his stunning wife. He watched as Sawyer intensely focused on the book. "Ooh, what about Eric, Eli, Ezra?"

"Ezra?" Sam asked, with a small chuckle.

"Just a suggestion," Sawyer shrugged.

"What about… Cam… Caden… Cadence… wait, people actually name their child 'Cactus'?" Sawyer exclaimed.

"Wait, it doesn't say that!" Sam said, in disbelief, looking over Sawyer's shoulder.

"It does!" Sawyer replied, showing Sam the name.

"That's sick," Sam laughed.

"I know! God, if we named our baby boy Cactus I think he'd hate us for the rest of his life," Sawyer said.

"Hey, Sawyer, can I talk to you about something?" Sam started.

"Yeah, what is it?" Sawyer asked, looking up from the book. Sam sounded like what they were about to talk about was serious.

"Now, it's been great being home and, we've mainly stayed because Meredith and Dean are working things out but I got a call last night from Frank and he has a case for us. Things are better between Meredith and Dean and, well, I don't really know if we can turn down any more cases," Sam started, anxiously.

"Oh, well, you should go then," Sawyer said.

"Really?" Sam asked, surprised.

Sawyer nodded, "Yes, baby. It's your job. I get it."

"Thank you for being so understanding," Sam smiled.

"Cole… what about Cole for a baby name," Sawyer suggested.

Sam thought it over, "Yeah. That'll go on under the 'yes' column."

"Okay," Sawyer said back, marking it down on her notepad under the yes column.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Who was that?" I asked as Dean returned to the table.

"Just Sam… he uh, he found us a case and wants to leave tomorrow," Dean replied.

"Oh," I said.

"Oh no! Mama, don't be mad at Daddy, please," Jude said softly.

"No, baby, of course not. I'm not mad at your dad at all. It's his job… I understand this time," I said, reassuring Jude and making sure that Dean knew that I understood as well.

"Look, Jude, it's not the fact I left last time that made your mom sad, it was the way I left. I shouldn't have left without telling you guys but this time I am," Dean added.

"Yeah. It's alright, kiddo. Your dad has to go save the world," I said, giving his hand a squeeze under the table.

"Like superman?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Yes, like superman," I chuckled a little.

LINEBREAK

Later in the day, the whole family took a trip to the grocery store to do shopping for the week. John wriggled around in the cart basket seat and kept laughing as I made faces at him. Jude had gone off with his dad to go get some fruit. I looked at some milk and ended up getting that brand.

"Hey, you," Dean said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around me. I practically jumped in surprise as I felt his arms around me.

"Hi," I said, pulling away a little.

"Your son wanted to get apples. I don't know where he gets that from!" Dean laughed.

"Oh, yeah. Well, it may have something to do with your constant apple pie cravings," I pointed out.

"Yeah," Dean said. I pushed the cart down the aisle and continued my grocery shopping. Dean kept getting me off track and I knew that he could tell that things were kind of weird, but I couldn't help myself. Ever since he said that he was leaving tomorrow, I had been touchy. I knew that he needed to go, but it had just got me thinking.

"Mer, is everything okay?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine," I replied, innocently. "Why wouldn't it be?" I then turned around and continued to push the cart down the aisle.

"Hey, how about I go get some bread or something?" Dean asked.

"Sure," I answered shortly.

"Can, I come, Daddy?" Jude asked.

"Sure, buddy," Dean said, eyeing me weirdly. I took a deep breath as soon as he was gone. I knew he knew that something was up but I was really trying not to be weird about this.

We finished the grocery shopping and headed home.

"Alright, we've gotta make a run for it. It's pouring rain out here!" Dean said.

"Daddy, I like the rain," Jude said.

"Oh, do you?" Dean asked.

"Mhm. Mama, can we go put on our rain clothes and go play in the rain once we finish putting away all the groceries?" Jude asked.

"Uh.. sure," I replied.

"What are rain clothes?" Dean asked.

"Oh, whenever it rains, Mommy and I go outside and play in the rain but we have to put on our rain clothes to make sure that we don't get any good clothes wet," Jude explained.

"Oh, I see," Dean said.

Jude's eyes light up, "Daddy! You need rain clothes! Doesn't he, Mama?"

"I supposed he does," I replied, flatly. "Why don't you two head inside and I'll get the rest of the groceries?"

"Sure," Dean replied. They went inside together and I followed them in with the last bag of groceries and John in my arms. I put John down in his play pen and helped unpack the groceries, avoiding as much contact as I could with Dean.

"Rain clothes! Let's go, Daddy. You can help me find my rain clothes and Mama can get you yours," Jude instructed.

"Okay, buddy," Dean chuckled. He followed Jude upstairs while I went to our room and changed into a plain black t-shirt and running shorts. I set out a t-shirt of Dean's and some casual shorts as well. Dean rarely ever wore shorts so I figured it'd be okay.

I picked John up and set him down outside on the porch and let him play on the porch. I made sure that he was secure in his play area so that he wouldn't fall off or try going down any steps. He was also in sight so when we played in the rain, we'd be able to keep an eye on him. Just then, the front door opened and Dean and Jude came out.

"Go change into your rain clothes Daddy, and we'll meet you outside," Jude ordered. "Let's go, Mama!"

"Alright, kiddo," I smiled. I took Jude's hand in mine. "Ready? One, two, three!" The two of us ran into the rain and I screamed as the cold water hit my skin. Jude laughed and ran around in circles, looking up to the sky and enjoying the rain.

"Mama, I love playing in the rain," Jude cried, happily.

"Me too, Jude," I smiled. It always felt good and relieving to get caught up in the rain.

"Daddy!" Jude exclaimed. I guess I had been so caught up that I didn't notice Dean. Dean ran out towards me.

"Meredith!" he called. "I've got to ask you something."

"Yeah?" I asked back.

"You've been weird ever since I told you I was leaving tomorrow. What's- is there something you're not telling me? Do you not want me to go?" Dean asked, the rain beating down against him.

"No!" I exclaimed.

"Then what is it because I'm not leaving things this way!" Dean said back.

I took a deep breath, "Dean, it's not that. It's just, you're going away and- and I'm afraid that things will fall apart again. We're doing so well but that's because we're together. What happens when you go off on case after case? I mean, that's how it started!"

"Meredith-," Dean started.

"No wait. Just let me finish. I- I'm afraid that something will happen again and that we'll start drifting farther apart and… I'm afraid that things will get bad again if you leave…"

"Meredith, they're not going to get bad again. I told you, I promised you that I nothing like that will ever happen again. Yeah, I'm still grieving Bobby's death but it's different this time because we learned our lessons the first go round. I know you're here for me and I hope you know that I'm here for you," Dean said.

"But what if something happens?" I asked, helpless.

Instead of replying, Dean just pulled me in for a deep, romantic kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around my waist. And right then, I knew that nothing was going to happen and that we were going to be alright. We were going to be better than alright! Dean cupped my face as he deepened the kiss before pulling away. The two of us just stood there, smiling at each other.

_"Baby you're, you're all I need. In darkness she is all I see. Now come and rest your bones with me. Driving slow on Sunday morning…"_


	44. Be OK

A/N: Since we're actually caught up with the current series, I'm just going to have to make up what I think/hope is going to happen in Supernatural. Basically, they killed Dick Roman and DONT have any new 'big bad' to face yet. Of course, if the show gets picked up for a season 8 we will have another big bad but for the rest of the story, I'm taking creative licensce and... well you'll see. I hope you don't mind but this are about to get normal. 

* * *

><p>There was a knock at the door as I scurried to get everything in order for my day. I opened the door and a huge grin spread across my face as soon as I saw Dean standing in the door way.<p>

"Dean! Why'd you knock? You could've just come in and-, it's so good to see you!" I exclaimed, pulling him into my arms immediately and kissing him.

"You too, baby," he smiled.

"Daddy!" Jude exclaimed happily, as soon as he saw his dad.

"Hey, buddy. Did you grow in the last week that I haven't seen you? I thought we talked about how you're not allowed to grow up while I'm gone. I'm missing out on too much," Dean said, picking up his son in his arms. I laughed. "You look beautiful. Where are you off to?"

"Uh, school, Dean. Remember I'm a teacher? As much as I hate it, I've got to go right now or I'm going to be late. You're okay with watching the boys? I know you must be exhausted," I asked.

"Actually, no. I'm fine. Yeah, it'll give me some time with these two. Speaking of, where is trouble maker number two?" Dean asked.

"He's in the kitchen finishing up his cheerios," I replied.

"As always," Dean chuckled.

"See, not much has changed around here," I said.

"Good. I don't think I can handle missing out on anything else," Dean said back.

"It's good to have you home, baby," I smiled.

"You too. Oh, by the way, what're you doing tonight?" Dean asked.

"Oh, it's good you asked. I actually have this thing at school. We're having a guest speaker from one of the clubs and I volunteered to help out and chaperone so I'm going to be at school late tonight, but we have all weekend to spend together, I promise. After tonight, I'm all yours," I replied.

"Late at school on a Friday night. Some party animal you are, Mer," Dean teased.

"I know, I'm sorry. I feel bad but I didn't know you'd be coming home today," I replied.

"Don't worry about it. Enjoy you're guest speaker thing and I'll see you at home," Dean said, brushing it off.

"Thank you. I love you," I said, on my way out.

"I love you too," Dean said back.

As I drove to school, I couldn't contain the smile on my face. Dean was home and we had made it work on the first time being apart ever since we worked things out. It felt pretty good…

**~3rd Person POV~**

"Sammy, thanks for coming," Dean said. It was midday and Dean had invited Sam over for lunch with the boys.

"What's up? Back there on the phone you sounded urgent," Sam asked.

"Uh, yeah. Listen, I need your advice on something and don't make fun of me, alright? Or at least just try…"

"Alright, total seriousness. I will not mock whatever the hell you're about to say," Sam said, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Look, I want to do something special for Meredith tonight. Before I left, she was really worried about us and about what would happened when I kept going back on the road and I just want her to know that everything fine you know? I also just want to make up for… well, you know what," Dean explained.

"Since when did you become such a romantic?" Sam teased. Dean glared at him. "Sorry. Uh… okay well if we're thinking big romantic gestures, just do something nice for her like cook her dinner or something. You and I both know that Meredith doesn't like big, extravagant things. She'd love just a small, low key, dinner. Sawyer and I will take the boys for the night if you want."

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," Sam answered.

"Okay, well thanks. And as for the dinner, I can't because she's going to be school late for some guest speaker of some club at their school. Besides, you and I both know I don't really know how to make dinner past pasta and PB and J," Dean replied.

Sam chuckled, "Well, what about afterwards. She'll be tired… give her a massage and light some candles or something."

"Are you sure you're not gay?" Dean asked.

"I have a wife and a kid on the way. I'm pretty sure I'm not gay," Sam glared.

"Jude, what do you think Mama would like?" Dean asked, turning to his son.

"Hm… you could make her a card. I can help you make some cards if you want me to, Dad," Jude replied.

"You know what, buddy? That's not actually a bad idea. And Sammy, I guess I'll take you up on the whole lighting candles idea. Those things smell pretty good too…" Dean said.

**~End 3rd Person POV~**

I looked over the rows of chairs in the room, everything in perfect order. I helped some of the students set up the last row of chairs in the front, "Well, this seems to be good. Why don't you guys go out and grab something for dinner. Bring it back here or something. The speaker should be here in about thirty miunutes and we'll start around 6:30." My students nodded and left the room, all talking to each other. As the kids filed out of the room, I smiled as soon as I saw Dean just standing there in the doorway, smiling back at me.

"Hi," I said, going over to him and kissing him once.

"Hey," Dean said back. Ever since Dean had gotten home this morning, I had been thinking about doing something nice for him. He was back now from the hunt and I had missed him a lot.

"What're you doing here?" I asked in surprise.

"Well, I thought I'd come surprise you," Dean shrugged.

I smiled, "Well, I am. Don't tell me you came for the guest speaker too. That would be an even bigger surprise."

"No, I just came to bring you something for dinner," Dean replied, getting a plastic Tupperware out of his plastic grocery bag that he had brought me.

"Well that's sweet. Thanks. Where are the boys?" I asked, curiously.

"Sam and Sawyer took them. They said something about it being good practice or something…" Dean answered. "Here, try this. Since you know that my cooking skills are confined to pasta and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, this is what I came up with. Sawyer showed me how to make this whole pesto thing." Dean fed me a noodle covered in pesto and I took a bite.

"Mmm, this is good. You're really becoming quite the cook here," I said.

"I'm trying… I did have help," Dean replied.

I chuckled, "This is true but still, Dean. This is delicious! Not that I'm surprised… okay maybe I'm a little surprise but that's not important. Thank you, baby."

"I just wanted to do something nice for you," Dean shrugged.

"Well, it's working," I replied, pulling him in for another kiss.

"The boys liked it too. I thought Jude was just being nice though because I also made dino nuggets," Dean said.

"Ooh, dino nuggets. Good call, babe," I nodded.

"I cut them up into smaller pieces for John but the both of them love those dino nuggets! I don't know what it is about them!" Dean chuckled.

I shrugged, "Kid food, I guess. So how was your day?"

"Fine. I took them to the park and Jude and I played catch while John… well I don't even know what he did. I think he just sat in grass and played with the dirt. I tried my hardest to keep him from eating any. I promise!" Dean said.

I laughed, "Oh God."

"I really did," Dean persuaded.

"I believe you," I said back. "You know, you really could stay for the talk. You don't have to but after you're surprised Emily Barrett Browning reading, I figured I'd ask anyways."

"Oh, before I forget, Jude made you a card," Dean said, handing me a piece of paper. "Well, we both kind of made it but it was mostly him." I smiled as I looked over the card. Jude had drawn me, Dean, him, and John and we were all playing outside in the front yard of our house.

"This is really sweet, Dean…. Are you trying to get laid or something?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No! You know what, that's the last time I take romantic advice from a four year old," Dean grumbled.

I giggled, "No, it's… it's just surprising. That's all," I said back.

"Well, if you were thinking about uh… connecting later tonight. I wouldn't complain," Dean smirked.

"Oh really?" I asked, pulling him in for another kiss. Dean and I made out for a couple of minutes before Dean finally pulled away, glancing at the clock.

"It's okay. I uh, I've got to run a couple of errands right now, but I'll see you at home," Dean said.

"Oh, okay," I replied, eyeing him suspiciously. What kind of errands did he have to run?

"You know, with the kids at Sammy's and everything, I finally have time to run errands," Dean said.

I nodded, "How does it feel to be the stay at home dad?"

"Never saw that one coming," Dean replied.

I giggled and he kissed me on the cheek before heading out. "I'll see you later, babe. I love you."

"I love you too," I said back.

I couldn't stop smiling as Dean left. God, I was married to an amazing man. I really did want to do something nice for him. He had cooked and brought me dinner. I mean, he had cooked! And he had been cooped up in the house all day with the boys. That's when it hit me. I had a brilliant idea. He and I just needed to relax and have some fun together and I knew exactly what to do.

Once the guest speaker was finally done, I helped my students clean up and put the room back for Monday. It was Friday now and no one would be here during the weekend.

"Oh, I'm actually meeting a couple of friends later," one of my students replied to my question about what everyone was doing after this.

"At nine thirty? Wow, I wish I had your life. My life is filled with going home earlier, trying to sleep as much as you can, and children. Not that I'm complaining," I chuckled.

"Oh come on, Mrs. Winchester. You have that gorgeous husband of yours," Tanya, another student chimed in.

"Oh, there she goes again. All of the girls in your English classes talk about how attractive your husband is," Carlos, another student said, rolling his eyes.

"He is quite handsome," I said, biting my lip and trying to hide a smile.

"Yeah, you're so lucky, Mrs. Winchester. If I had a husband like that, I would not be complaining either," Emily said.

They were right. I was lucky.

* * *

><p>I put the key in the door and unlocked the house, "Hello?" Everything was dark. Where was Dean? I walked into the house and the only light that was on was a dim light in the living room. This was weird. I dropped my bag at the front of the door and walked into the living room, gasping as soon as I saw Dean waiting for me on the couch. "What?"<p>

"Hey, babe," Dean smiled, standing up. "The candles were kind of Sammy's idea. I just wanted to do something nice for you. I know you were all worried about me and Sammy constantly going away on hunts and I just want you to know that I'm not going to screw up like that again. Yes, we're still looking for Dick Roman, but I won't go about the same way. I need you to know that I love you, Mer."

"Yeah it is kinda mushy but uh… it's sweet, Dean. I'm-, I'm kind of in shock right now," I stuttered, speechless.

"I-," Dean started, not knowing what else to say. I nodded. Once I finally collected my words, I knew what to say.

"It's uh, I love it. First dinner and now this? Dean, I know you love me and I know that you won't do anything like that again. We all loved Bobby and I understand that you want revenge. I do too. But uh, I might have gotten my own surprise for you," I said.

"Oh really? Is it lingerie?" Dean smirked.

"What is it with that lingerie fetish of yours?" I exclaimed, giggling.

"You look hot in lingerie, okay?" Dean asked.

I smiled, "No, I think you're going to like it a little more," I replied, pulling out the bottle of whiskey from a brown paper bag.

Dean gasped, "Babe, Jack Daniel's is my favorite!"

"I know," I replied.

"So let's have a drink then," Dean said.

I chuckled as if to say 'silly dean', "Actually the boys are out tonight and I know how you drink so I planned on getting totally wasted with you."

"Wait, really?" Dean asked, a smile forming at the corner of his mouth.

I nodded, "Mhm. Look, we need to have more fun sometimes, just the two of us. I figured it'd be a bonding experience."

"Hell yes. Hey, remember when I got you drink your freshmen year of high school? It was a Saturday night and you didn't want to go to some Homecoming dance that I said I'd take you to so then the two of us just ditched and sat in the back of the salvage yard and got totally wasted?" Dean asked, letting out a deep hearty laugh.

"Oh my God! When my dad found out the next day, he almost killed you!" I laughed.

"Yeah, he did. I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," Dean said.

I giggled, "That was one of the best times with one of my best friends."

"Damn straight," Dean bragged, proudly.

I smiled, "Those were good days."

"Have I told you how perfect you are lately?" Dean asked.

"Nope, but you can keep the compliments coming," I smirked.

"I'll keep you coming," Dean said, winking at me.

I laughed as Dean pulled me in for a kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>August 2013<strong>

"Just remember if you need anything, I'm right across the street and you can call me," I reassured Jude.

"Got it, Mom," Jude said back.

"Oh come on, Mer, Jude is a Winchester. He's going to be just fine on his first day of school, aren't you buddy?" Dean asked, giving his son a fist bump. I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully. "And by the way, if you see any hot chicks, just remember to smile and play it cool."

"Dean? You're already teaching him these things?"I asked.

"What? He's got to start early," Dean defended playfully.

"Alright, alright. Do you have you have everything – your lunch, your book bag's zipped, you've got your new pencils?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Mama. You don't need to worry about me. I'm not nervous at all!" Jude declared.

"Okay. Good luck, son," I said.

"Yeah, go get 'em, tiger," Dean encouraged.

"Bye, Mama. Bye, Daddy. Bye, John," Jude said, glancing at us one more time before going into his kindergarten classroom. This was it. Our son had started his first day of school today and I couldn't be happier.

"Soon this will be you, buddy," Dean said to John.

"Let's not rush it that much," I said back.

"Come on, babe. Let's get you to school now," Dean said.

"Oh right. I have classes to teach today. Ugh, why can't I just stay home with you and Jude?" I groaned.

"Because you've got a job. Don't worry. John and I will be just fine. We'll watch the wiggles or something, but I'll mute it and play Led Zeppelin. You like that more, right John?" Dean asked his son. John just nodded and laughed hysterically, like he usually did.

"Alright, I'll see you guys when I get home," I said back.

"See you, babe," Dean said, kissing me once. Things were becoming more and more normal. Dean and Sam had ganked Dick Roman and it felt like it was just a matter of time before things started to settle down. Sam and Sawyer were getting adjusted with the new baby. Cole John Winchester was only about two months and was already stirring up trouble. Who knew what was in store for us next?


	45. Big Changes

A/N: Major time jumping going on here! Bear with me! Just some stuff you need to know is that Sawyer had her baby in June 21 of 2013. Other notes: Cole just turned 1, Renee and John are both 2, and Jude is 5 (almost 6). Woah! How'd that happen?

* * *

><p><strong>~Flashback~<strong>

January 2014

"Dean, I need to talk to you about something," Sam started.

"Yeah?" Dean asked, sitting on his motel bed.

"I think it's time that you and I take a break… and by break I don't mean a couple of months. I mean a couple of years. Just until we can sort things out. We both have families now and… well, things are hard back at the house with the new baby. We need time, Dean," Sam explained.

Dean nodded, "I completely understand. I feel like I'm missing my sons growing up."

"Just for a while. And after a couple of years, well, we can decide whether or not to go back into it or quit for good," Sam said.

"Okay," Dean said, agreeing to Sam's deal.

**~End Flashback~**

**~ Flashback~**

February 2014

"Mr. Winchester, I understand that you are a mechanic," Principle Higgins said.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Good, because we need a new autoshop teacher. The current teacher is retiring and we're looking to hire," Principle Higgins continued.

"Wait a minute so this isn't just about the assistant coach job? I mean, are you asking me… don't you have to have some kid certification or something?" Dean asked, surprised at why the principle of Sioux Falls High had called him in for a meeting.

"Yes, but this is autoshop, not advanced placement chemistry. If you take a couple of summer courses over at the University, you could be able to teach by the beginning of the next school year. Take the classes and the job is yours," Principle Higgins offered.

"Oh, wow. Uh, can I get back to you? It's not that I don't want it, it's just that I should talk to my wife about it first," Dean asked.

"Of course," Principle Higgins replied.

**~End Flashback~**

June 25 2014

"Ugh, babe can you just come read this, please?" Dean groaned.

"Yeah," I said, going into the kitchen where Dean was sitting at the table with the laptop he stared at the screen. "What's wrong?"

"It's this stupid paper. Can you just edit it or something? You're an English teacher, right?" Dean asked.

I laughed a little, "Sure."

"Why don't you come sit on Daddy's lap?" Dean asked, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

"Okay, one, creepy and two… why the hell not?" I said, sitting down on Dean's lap. He wrapped his arms around my waist as I sat on his lap and read over his paper. I scrolled through the document, nodding my head. "Baby!"

"What?" Dean asked, alarmed.

"How come you never told me?" I exclaimed.

"Never told you what?" Dean asked back, scratching his head confused.

"Babe, this is good. I mean, I always thought you were street smart, but you're smart smart, Dean. This is a really good paper… it's well organized, the ideas are clear, not to mention pretty damn good if I do say so myself," I said smiling.

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Yes!" I said, looking at him.

"Wait, you're not just saying that because you're my wife, are you?" Dean asked.

"No, I'm not just saying that," I replied.

"Hm, maybe your kids' intelligence didn't just come from you," Dean said, proudly.

"Maybe," I replied.

"Look, I wanted to make sure this is good. It's a pretty big paper and I kind of want to do well on it," Dean said.

"Look at you caring about your grades," I teased.

"Hey! I've been busting my ass all summer in these classes," Dean said.

"Wow, this is very uncharacteristic of you," I replied.

"Well, we're settling down. This teaching job pays pretty well along with the coaching thing and uh, we have a family, Mer," Dean said.

I nodded, "You know, I love you for that, Dean. You want to take care of your family."

"I do," Dean said. I scrolled through his paper one more time, just correcting of grammatical mistakes. Just then, I felt Dean leaving slow, little kisses on my neck and shoulders.

I giggled, "Dean, what're you doing?"

"Oh come on, I've been working all afternoon on this paper and all summer in these classes. Your very sexy and very horny husband deserves a break," Dean mumbled as he continued to kiss me. He pulled down the strap to my tank top and bra and I moaned as he began to kiss lower.

"I'm almost done, Dean," I said.

"Really, because I've just gotten started," Dean smirked.

"Dean," I groaned, trying to pull away from him. If I didn't now, I knew that we wouldn't get anything done. Well, we'd get things done, just not the academic stuff.

"What? Oh come on, babe. It's our half sexiversary," Dean said.

"What the hell is that?" I asked.

"You know… the anniversary of the first time we had sex – except it's our half sexiversary like a half birthday," Dean explained. To him it made perfect sense but to me it sounded like nonsense. I just giggled a little.

"Dean, that's not even a real thing," I pointed out.

"So? It can be for us," Dean said, beginning to kiss me again.

"You know what? You're right. All work and no play is no fun. Are you finished with the essay?"

"Hell yes!" Dean declared.

"Then why don't you take me to our bedroom?" I ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean smirked.

* * *

><p>I reorganized some of the reading books that I had back at school. It was June but teachers were here either setting up for the new school year or cleaning out things from the old year. I was finishing up my cleaning and wanted to start getting ready for the new school year so that I wouldn't have to come back a lot in July and do more work. I wanted to get done early so that I could have the most amount of time with my family now that Dean and Sam had stopped hunting. Dean was working at the garage while I wasn't in class over at the university. I was proud of him working so hard in his classes. I honestly really wanted him to be the auto shop teacher. I knew he'd be great at it and that the students would love him. I mean, the people that took auto shop were people like Cameron. Of course he'd be able to speak to them.<p>

Part of me was saddened at the thought of Cameron. I missed him and Blake a lot. I wondered if they were still together, if they were happy, what they were up to. All of that. They both must've been out in the work force now… I wanted to know all about them but I knew that I couldn't. Dean and I let them go so that they wouldn't be hurt because of us anymore.

"Hey, I woke up and you were gone," I heard a voice say.

I turned around to see Dean standing in the door way of the class room.

"Oh, yeah. You were fast asleep and I figured I'd come over and here and try to get some stuff done," I said, walking towards him.

"I see. Well, I left the kids at Andrea's but I thought we could head over when you were done of course," Dean replied.

"Yeah, sure. I'm actually done. You know, you're going to have your own class room soon… it'll just, you know, be a garage, " I replied. "Hey, can I show you something?"

"Yeah, what?" Dean asked back.

"Come here," I said, grabbing his hand with a mischievous smile on my face.

"Should I be nervous?" Dean asked.

"No, just come on," I said, leading him over to a wooden desk in my class room. I bent down, looking under the desk in the up right corner of the room.

"What? I thought this was defacing school property," Dean mocked.

"Just get down here," I ordered. Dean bent down too and smiled as soon as he saw what I was looking at. "The desk that we carved our initials into the night before I left. How-… how did you find this?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Apparently it was in storage but we needed more wooden desks. I came across it and requested specifically for this desk. I mean, it goes with all the other desks but this one is… special," I said, simply.

"Wow, you found it," Dean replied, amused.

"Just a little reminder of us in my class room – well besides the picture frames of you, John, and Jude," I replied. Dean traced over the carvings with his fingers, his eyes roaming the scratches in the wood.

"Wow," Dean said. "We have a pretty long history, don't we?"

"Yeah, we do," I replied.

When Dean and I finished up at the school, we headed back over to the café to relieve Andrea from the boys.

"Hey, you," Sawyer said, greeting me. She held her smiling, one-year-old boy in her arms on her hip.

"Hey, there's my favorite nephew!" I smiled, kissing him on the cheek.

"He's your only nephew, Mer," Sawyer reminded.

"This is true," I replied. "How are you? And how's the little guy?"

"We're great but Cole here is getting a little sleep, aren't you buddy? It's about time, though. Mama needs to read some more manuscripts and you are making it impossible," Sawyer replied. Sawyer tickled Cole's stomach and Cole buried his face in his mom's shoulder, laughing and wriggling in her arms.

"Uh oh, is that the tickle monster? Daddy will save you from the tickle monster!" Sam exclaimed, excitedly. Sawyer handed Sam their son and Sam swooped him up in his arms.

"Mama, tickles," Cole said, through his barely understandable baby talk.

"I know she does. She's so silly isn't she? Yes, she is," Sam said. I giggled.

"Mama!" I heard someone yell. Just then, Jude and John both came running out from behind the counter and towards me.

"Daddy said we could get pie," Jude said.

"Mama, come sit," John encouraged, tugging on the hem of my knee length dress.

"Okay, okay, you two. Let's go sit down first and then we can some pie. Where is that mischief making daddy of yours anyways?" I asked, going over to the table where Sam and Sawyer were sitting. Sam and Sawyer seemed to be having their own moment. Cole was on Sam's lap as they tried to entertain their very bouncy son.

"Daddy went to talk to Uncle Ethan because John has a scratch and Uncle Ethan is a doctor," Jude replied.

"Oh no! John, what happened?" I asked.

"Got a boo boo," John replied, sadly. He showed me the band-aid on his knee.

"He fell on the side walk but then Uncle Ethan came and gave him a Cars band-aid. He says that since Daddy likes car, he keeps Cars band aids with him just for us," Jude explained.

"Oh, well I'll have to thank your Uncle Ethan for that. Where is he, by the way?" I asked.

"He went upstairs because Renee just woke up from nap time. Renee is a baby. She still takes naps," Jude teased.

"Jude Robert Winchester, that's not very nice," I pointed out.

"Sorry, Mama," Jude recoiled.

"It's okay. You just don't need to call her a baby," I reminded.

"Any room at this table for us?" I heard a voice ask. I turned and smiled as I saw Molly and her beautiful, blonde toddler.

"Yeah, why don't you let Renee sit next to you, John, so that your Aunt Molly and I can sit next to each other," I suggested. Molly put Renee down and she walked over to where John was. Molly picked her up, setting her down in the chair.

"Okay, Renee can sit," John said.

"Thank you," I said.

"Vroooom… cars!" John exclaimed.

Molly sat down next to me in the busy café.

"Wow, you would get your children a Lilly Pulitzer dress," I chuckled.

"Okay, I wasn't planning on it but we ended up going in the store and I tried on a couple of things on her and they looked so cute that I couldn't help myself," Molly said, explaining herself. I just laughed.

"No, she's precious, Molly," I said.

"The big, red, dog…" Jude said, reading aloud his Clifford book. He read the words at a slow-ish pace, but he was learning to read and he had been practicing so much. It didn't matter what it was: menus, lyrics to Dean's CDs, books, magazines. Jude loved to read.

"How are you?" I asked Molly.

"Good. I just got back from Milan for work and I'm still a little jet lagged," Molly replied.

"Ooh, how was Milan?" I asked, curiously.

"Beautiful but one day I think I'm going to take the whole family and we can go to the country where it's prettier," Molly replied.

"Hm," I sounded.

"How about you?" Molly asked.

"Oh, I'm fine. Dean's been working hard in his classes," I started.

"Wow," Molly commented.

"I know, surprising, but I think he's serious about this job. I've never seen him work this hard in school but you know what? I'm happy for him. He's really trying and he doesn't get that distracted… except for… well earlier today but that's not important," I said, shrugging it off.

"Oh, you two. You are always going at it," Molly said, rolling her eyes playfully.

"Who's always going at it?" Dean asked, coming over to join the table.

"No one, babe," I replied, exchanging glances with Molly before the both of us burst into laughter.

"Daddy, come sit next to me," Jude said, patting the seat between him and John. "Can I read you this book?"

"Sure, kiddo. Look at you, already reading," Dean complimented.

"Got a boo boo," John said, looking up at his dad.

"I know, kiddo, but you're going to be just fine," Dean reassured. Renee played with the hem of her dress.

"Can I have juice?" Renee asked, looking at her mom.

"Sure, sweetie," Molly said, getting a sippy cup filled with watered down apple juice out of her bag mommy bag and giving it to Renee.

"Thanks," Renee said. I looked over at Dean and Jude and Jude was deep in reading the story to his father. Dean was praising his son for reading and was right there with him in the story. I smiled to myself and Renee and John were sitting and trying to put a little puzzle together.

"Not there!" Renee said to John.

"Nuh uh," John argued back.

"There," Renee said, matching up pieces. They were simple shape puzzles but they were enough to keep a two year old busy.

"Oh, here," John said, finding another piece.

"Hey, you two," Ethan said, coming over to join us.

"Ethan! Hey, I was cleaning out my desk, earlier today and for some reason found an old The Clash CD that you lent me a while ago. Do you want that back by any chance?" I asked.

"Yeah, that'd be great," Ethan replied.

"So how's the hold doctor saving lives thing going?" I asked.

"Good. How's the whole husband in school thing?" Ethan asked back.

"Weird, but good. He's working really hard because at the beginning he was doing… stellar, but it's all good now," I replied.

"Huh, interesting," Ethan said back.

"See, that's what I said!" Molly chimed in.

"Hey, look, I think are kids are going to be friends. Well, at least I hope that," I said, pointing over to John and Renee as they worked together to put the puzzle together.

"Hopefully friends is all they'll be knowing that Dean's his father," Molly teased.

"Hey, I heard that," Dean said back.

"I'm just saying, Dean. Knowing what you'll teach your sons, John's going to be a heartbreaker," Molly replied.

"It's true. Boy's going to be the biggest player in the school when he gets there," Ethan added.

"Yeah, he will," Dean smirked.

"Woah, he's only two, right now! Let's not rush it that far," I protested.

"Did someone order pie?" Andrea asked coming over to the table. "I'm going to need a bigger café if the whole gang is here at the same time with you and all your children. Look at all of you!" Andrea set down pie for John, Jude, and Dean to split.

"Hey, Andrea," I agreed.

"Hi, Meredith," she smiled. "But really! There are so many of you Winchester slash Walshes slash whatever. Oh dear…"

"Oh come on, Mom. You love the café crowded with your grandchildren," Ethan pointed out.

"You caught me," Andrea sighed.

"Hey, and we're not the ones taking up a bunch of room. Mer and Dean are the ones with two children!" Ethan brought up.

"Wow, way to throw me under the bus like that, Ethan. Thanks," I replied, sarcastically.

"You love me," Ethan gloated and I stuck my tongue out at him. Dean and Molly just laughed.

"Unfortunately, I do," I admitted.

"What am I going to do with you two?" Andrea asked, before leaving the table.

"Come play cars," John encouraged Renee.

"Don't like cars," Renee shook her head.

"Please?" John asked.

"Okay," Renee replied, after a small pause. She and John went over to the play area in the café and sat down. John played cars and Renee finished their puzzle.

We spent the evening at Andrea's and the table ended up just being me, Dean, Sam, Sawyer, Ethan, and Molly. Dean and I sat next to each other as Sam, Dean, and Ethan laughed over the latest game or something. By now, all of the kids were sitting in the play area. Jude was playing cars with his little brother while Cole sat there, playing with blocks. Cole began to cry as John knocked one of the cars into his block tower, but Jude went over and tried to comfort him. Renee finished the puzzle sitting down, while trying not to get her dress too dirty.

"We should get going," Dean said in my ear.

I glanced at the clock, realizing what time it is, "Yeah we should. Hey, you guys, we're going to head out but we'll see you tomorrow."

We said our goodbyes and then were back at home.

"This apple pie thing is a little more exhausting than I thought it would be," Dean commented.

"Yeah, I know. Hey, coming to bed?" I asked.

"In a minute. I've just to print my paper," Dean replied.

"Okay, goodnight babe," I said, kissing Dean once before heading into our room.


	46. Favorite Son

**Previously in **_**Over the Hills and Far Away**_**…**

_As soon as we got to the hospital, it was like a giant blur. The doctors were rushing Cameron to a trauma room to see if there was anything they could do. Sam, Dean, Blake, and I just stood there, hoping and praying that they'd be alright. I took Blake to the lobby and we just wait. She cried on my shoulder and I just let her. Dean wouldn't stop pacing around while Sam just sat down and was still. If something happened to Cameron, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I guess what they say about getting out of the life was true: you never did. But then again, he wouldn't have been kidnapped if it hadn't been for me. If Dean and I hadn't been so close to him... Damn it. Damn it. Damn it! Once things calmed down, they took Cameron to a room and hooked him up to all these machines. Blake broke down when they told us there wasn't much more they could do. We went into the room and just waited._

_I stared at Cameron hooked up to all those machines. Blake stood by me, her arms crossed over her chest._

_"I'm so sorry, Blake," I said, tears in my voice, but I wouldn't let them fall. Blake nodded once before leaving the hospital room. "I'm coming to get a cup of coffee. Do you want something?"_

_"No thanks," I answered. I didn't blame her is he blamed me. Cameron was practically our son and since our actual sons were cloaked and demon proof, Cameron was the next best thing. Damn it! If only we had-… The doctors had told us that there was nothing that they could do but make him comfortable._

_Dean sighed but the two of us practically jumped as Castiel appeared behind us._

_"What do you want?" Dean spat. "He'll be dead by midnight."_

_"I didn't come here for you," Castiel said, before floating over to Cameron and touching his forehead. I began to see the color in face come back and his heart rate was sounding a lot better. He had healed Cameron._

_"Thank you," both Dean and I mumbled._

_"I wished this changed anything," Dean started._

_"So do I. I just came to fix what Crowley did," Cas started._

_"You can do one more thing for me," Dean said. I knew what Dean was thinking._

_"Wait a minute," I said. "Dean, can we talk?" Cas stayed in the hospital room while Dean and I went outside into the hallway._

_"You can seriously think that we can wipe their memories of us. How are they going to explain meeting or-… or Cameron leaving his dad, or a lot of things? Living with us his last years of high school, sharing his acceptance letter to UNC?" I asked, almost furious that Dean even thought about wiping their memories._

_"Cas will make something up. Cameron lived on his own. His dad was a drunk so he emancipated himself and living in apartment in Sioux Falls by himself. Blake worked at the café. You just weren't there," Dean replied._

_I sighed, dreading what we were about to do, "Why?"_

_"Do you want something like this to happen again? The reason it did is because Cameron is practically our son! But he got out and he was unarmed. If we do this, they'll be out of the life for good. They can go back to North Carolina, live a happily life together," Dean explained._

_I nodded slowly, "I hate this."_

_"You don't think I do?" Dean exclaimed, staring at me._

_I nodded slowly, "Okay."_

_We went back into the room, "Do it, Cas." We then left and as soon as I got into the hall, Dean just pulled me into his arms and held me. We watched as Cameron woke up with Blake beside him and they rejoiced in their reunion. Dean and I pulled away and knew it was time to go in._

_"Who are you? What happened?" Cameron asked._

_"You uh, you were in an accident. I was driving and lost control for a minute... I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry," Dean said. I gave his hand a tight squeeze. I knew it was hard for him to stand here and say this to them. It was hard enough for me to not beg Cas to take it back and collapse on the floor in grief. We were losing Cameron and Blake. That was a big deal._

_"Oh," Blake said, glancing at Cameron nervously._

_"Well, we're all okay so that's what's important, right?" Cameron asked._

_"Yeah. Well, uh, we'll just leave you two alone. Sorry, again," I said, trying to fight back tears. I took Dean out of the room before I was going to lose it. "Let's just get Sam and go back to Bobby's. See what he has on all this HP Lovecraft stuff." Dean followed behind me as we met Sam at the car. I knew that if I talked about it, I would lose it and I just needed to focus on something else._

…

"Jude Robert Winchester, don't run in the house, please," I warned, lightly as Jude and Andre ran upstairs to his room.

"Sorry, Mom!" Jude yelled back, before I heard the door close. I sighed, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Relax, babe. Boys will be boys," Dean shrugged it off.

"I wish I could be so "relaxed" about everything like you are," I sighed.

"I think I know how to help you relax," Dean smirked, before closing the gap between us and kissing me. I laughed into the kiss, knowing that he was just using this as yet another excuse to kiss me. Dean slid his hands around my waist and down my torso to my hips, my butt… Dean picked me up on the counter, forcing me to wrap my legs around his waist.

"Dean, we can't do this right now," I whispered.

"Why not?" Dean asked, kissing down my jaw to my neck. Dean left a trail of kisses down my neck and made his way to my collarbone, nibbling on my sweet spot and causing me to moan.

"Because Andre and Jude are – oh wow – are in the other room and we can't-," I said, panting as Dean continued to kiss me.

"Babe, I'm supposed to helping you relax. Now, relax and just go with the flow," Dean smirked, beginning to unbutton my light blue button down. He unbuttoned one button, leaving a trail of kisses after each button.

"Oh God," I gasped, throwing my head back. I could feel Dean's lips twist into a smile as he kissed down my chest. "Dean…"

"Yeah, babe?" Dean asked, mischievously.

"No… don't stop," I sighed, happily.

"I knew you'd give into me," Dean smirked, coming back up and kissing me again. The kisses were slow and playful. Dean cupped my face and grinded into me, causing me to moan again. Oh God. We couldn't do this. Not right here. Not now, we-.

Just then, there was a solid knock on the door and Dean stopped, our foreheads pressed together as we just breathed together.

"We should probably get that," I finally said, breaking the silence between us.

"I guess so. But you owe me, Mer," Dean said.

I smiled, "You better hold me to that." I winked at him before hopping of the counter and buttoning up my blouse and going over to the door. I looked at myself on the mirror on the wall and ran a hand through my hair so it didn't just look like Dean and I were about to get it on in the kitchen. The minute I opened the door my jaw dropped and I was speechless. But I couldn't give them any kind of indication. It was for their own good.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" I asked, anxiously.

"Oh drop the act, Meredith. We know," Cameron replied. I looked from Cameron to Blake, Blake standing at Cameron's side and holding his hand for support.

"Wh-," I started.

"That's exactly what we came here to talk to you about. Is Dean here?" Cameron asked. He seemed really angry.

"Uh, yeah," I said, stepping aside.

"Good," Cameron said, through gritted teeth as he came into the house. Oh no.

* * *

><p>"How could you do that to us, Dean? I mean, do you know what it's like to find out that you can't remember some of the biggest moments of your life? It's like being blind. And Meredith, how did- why did you let him do it?" Cameron asked. He was mad but he also just needed answers.<p>

"Cameron, you were hurt because of us. You had gotten out of the life for good and we just wanted you to be able to have that," Dean replied.

"What at the expense of forgetting you guys?" Blake asked.

"Look, I know it seems absurd but at the time it felt like the only answer. What were we supposed to do? We didn't want it to happen again," I reasoned.

"Well you didn't have to wipe our memories! I- I could've gone back and just made sure we were prepared. Got out the old hunting equipment and-," Cameron started.

"No, that's exactly what we didn't want you to do. You were out for good, Cameron. We didn't want you to get dragged back into the life because of us. It wasn't fair to you. You worked so hard for this apple pie life. We wanted to give you another shot at that," Dean replied.

"So, what? We didn't even get a vote in this?" Cameron exclaimed.

"No!" Dean exclaimed back.

Cameron just shook his head, running out of the house, slamming the door behind him. Blake looked down and Dean made to get up but I stopped him.

"I'll get him," I said, giving Dean's hand a tight squeeze before going out to follow Cameron. As I went outside, to my surprise, Cameron hadn't gone too far at all. He was sitting on the porch swing outside, trying to calm down from the confrontation that had just gone on inside.

"Mind if I sit?" I asked, going over to the porch swing.

"No, go ahead," Cameron mumbled.

I nodded, "Look, I'm sorry."

"I get it… I do… but it still sucks all the same. Do you know how terrifying when my dad called asking about you and we had no idea what was going on? The one day, Blake and I were in the middle of dinner and the both of us began to have flashbacks. It's awful, trying to piece your life together when you didn't even know that part of it was missing," Cameron said.

"I know and I'm so sorry, Cameron. I tried to tell Dean no, but what he said at the moment made sense. I know you would've been able to take of yourself and take care of Blake after… what happened, but we didn't want that for you. I know, you didn't get a vote in this and it was wrong, but we wanted what was best for you," I replied, trying to explain.

Cameron sighed, "I know. It just, it really sucks, Mer. You've been a huge part of both Blake and my lives."

"It was hard losing you too. It's- kind of amazing that you're here. How exactly did you get your memories back?" I asked.

"Uh, well, that's a good question. One day, it all just started coming back. It was like filling in the blanks and all of a sudden, we just remembered. Then we got the call about Bobby and – I'm so sorry, Mer – it all started to come back. After a while we pieced together that you and Dean wiped our memories as well and, here we are," Cameron replied.

Cas' magic was wearing off… this wasn't good.

"Oh, wow. Um… that's… crazy. Yeah, well, uh, Cas he's, he's gone. That must be why," I said, shifting anxiously.

"What happened?" Cameron asked.

I explained to him what had happened with the leviathins and everything and Cameron just sat there and listened.

"That's terrible, I'm so sorry, Mer. Dean must've been a wreck. Castiel was like family," Cameron said.

I nodded, "Well, a lot of other things happened after Cas died that messed with Dean too. So when he came home, I thought he'd be a frickin' time bomb. But I was there for him and the next day he made me breakfast and bed and… it was really sweet." I giggled, shrugging a little.

"Nice, dude. You've really got him… in the palm of your hand, to put it nicely," Cameron replied.

"Oh believe me. We've been through a hell of a lot…" I trailed off.

"How is Dean, though?" Cameron asked.

"Good… we're quitting, for now, so Dean's taking classes over at the University of Sioux Falls and if he passes, he'll be working at the school as the auto shop teacher and assistant coach again," I replied, smiling.

"Hah, you know I never took the auto shop class at school when I was with you guys because Dean and I worked on cars every weekend. He's going to be really good," Cameron said.

I smiled, "Yeah, I think so too."

"Look, promise me, Meredith, that you guys won't ever do that again. It's not fair to us. Please," Cameron begged.

I nodded slowly, "Alright, we won't. Hey, let's get back inside."

"Okay," Cameron said.

"You still mad at me?" Dean asked, as soon as Cameron got back into the house.

"A little, but I'm willing to forgive," Cameron said back.

"Good because I don't know about you, but I could use a drink after all of this. Who's up for a bar tonight?" Dean proposed. I laughed a little at Dean's proposal.

"Sure, why not?" Cameron asked back.

It was a good thing that Andre was over now but Jude was spending the night at Andre's tonight. We'd call up the rest of the gang and Andrea could watch John.

* * *

><p>"Can I get you ladies anything?" the bartender asked, a handsome smile on his face.<p>

Molly and I both looked at each other before bursting into laughter and shouting, "Tequila!"

"Please and thank you," Molly added.

"Yes, thanks," I replied, giggling. We hadn't even started drinking yet the two of us were already crazy. The bartender returned with several shots of tequila, a salt shaker, and a bowl of limes, placing them in front of us. We thanked him.

"I still don't know how you do it," Blake said, amused.

"Well, I've learned not to let it hit your tongue. You're just supposed to slam it back," Molly shrugged simply.

"Yep," I added.

"If I recall correctly, Mer is the master at this. Geez, no wonder you and Dean are so perfect for each other," Blake chuckled.

"Yeah, I am perfect," Dean smirked as I felt him wrap my arms around my waist. I giggled. I turned around to see Dean and Sam coming back from parking the car and Ethan coming out of the bathroom.

"And modest too," I added sarcastically.

"Yeah, well we all love Dean's modesty," Ethan teased.

"But seriously, Mer, you're way too good at taking shots," Sawyer said.

"Yeah she is," Dean smirked. "So hot, baby." He whispered in my ear causing me to roll my eyes playfully.

"I will admit that there is a method to the madness. Okay, Blake, give me your hand," I said, pouring salt on the edge of her hand, balancing it there. "So this is how it works: lick it, slam it, lime. If only your parents knew what I was teaching you right now…"

Cameron chuckled, "You really were always the coolest teacher at Sioux Falls High."

"What, teaching my kids how to take shots? I'd disagree and say that I'm a terrible influence on you two," I said.

"Ah, we're of age. It's fine," Cameron shrugged it off. I laughed.

"Alright, here goes," Blake said nervously, before licking the salt, slamming the drink, and then biting into the lime, making a face out of disgust. "Oh those are bad!"

Molly and I exchanged glances before taking a shot of the tequila and then biting the lime.

"Damn, my wife is hot," Dean smirked.

"Dean, go sit down," I giggled. Dean sat right next to me on the bar stool, Sam and Sawyer on his left side, me on his right side.

"Something I can get for you?" the bartender asked.

"I'll just have some good ol' Jack Daniel's," Dean replied.

"Coming right up," The bartender replied.

"Cameron, what can I get you? It's only fair that I buy a drink after uh… wiping your memory," Dean said.

"Beer's good," Cameron replied.

"Oh and one beer," Dean ordered.

"Sure," the bartender replied.

"Babe, I don't think I've seen you drink hard liquor in a while," Ethan said to Molly.

She shrugged, "Well I haven't had this kind of fun in a while so I figured why not go all out? After spending eternity in motherhood with much time to come, I think it's a much deserved night out for the both of us, Mr. Walsh."

"I agree," he smirked, looking up and down his hot wife.

"Yeah, Ethan, you better take advantage of your night without the Renee tonight because your wife looks hot," I pointed out.

"Yeah, she does," Ethan smirked.

"Hey, Sawyer, do you not want yours?" I asked, looking at her full shot glass.

"Oh, yeah. In a second," she said, smiling a little. She and Sam exchanged glances and she nodded as if to say it was fine. Wait… what was going on? I could tell the both of them were antsy so I focused my attention back on Blake and Cameron.

"Hey, do you think I could just have some water?" Blake asked the bartender and he nodded.

"Alright, so what've you guys been up for… the past year? Dean, I hear that you're taking some classes over at the university. You're going to be the auto shop teacher," Cameron started.

"Oh, you'll be so good at that," Blake smiled.

"Eh, I hope so," Dean mumbled.

"Dude, most people that take those classes are just like me," Cameron reasoned.

"Thanks, dude," Dean said back, taking a swig of his whiskey. I glanced over at Sawyer and saw her tossing her drink over her shoulder. Hm… that was weird. "What about you guys?"

"Working. We just uh, we moved up to the New York City and I got a job at the New York Times. I'm still assistant and stuff, but they published one of my op-ed pieces which was awesome," Cameron replied.

"Congrats, Cameron. I uh, I saw it actually. It was beautiful," I said back.

"Thanks. I owe it to you. Without you kicking my ass in Junior year English, I wouldn't be half as good of a writer," Cameron smiled.

"Thanks, but uh, that piece, that was all you," I replied.

The rest of the night went on and it was just a fun night out with good friends. Later on, I saw Sawyer slip into the bathroom and I knew that she had been acting weird all night. A few minutes later, I excused myself from the bar and followed Sawyer in the bathroom. I saw Sawyer washing her hands and she smiled at me.

"Hey, Sam and I are about to leave but this was great," Sawyer said.

"Sawyer what's going on?" I asked, bluntly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, averting her eyes.

"You've been tossing your drinks over your shoulder all night and you and Sam have been kinda weird when it came to alcohol tonight. I mean, Sam drank, but you didn't. And then when Molly suggested we get sushi later, you said 'no'. Sawyer, you love sushi… so… congratulations on being pregnant?" I said, guessing, even though I was pretty sure that my theory was right.

Sawyer gasped with relief, "It's so early that we weren't really telling anyone yet, but we wanted to. But then you guys asked out for drinks tonight and we figured it'd be weird if we said, no, especially because of Blake and Cameron, and we figured it'd be the wrong time to tell you, but uh… yeah, I'm pregnant, again!"

A wide grin spread across my face before I said, "Sawyer, that's amazing! Congratulations! Damn, you two always tease me and Dean for not being able to keep it in our pants but you're the one that's having a baby again. That was quick!"

"Hey, they'll be three years apart," Sawyer defended playfully.

I laughed, "Yeah, Jude and John are four years apart so I guess it's not as crazy as I'm making it seem."

She smiled, "Thanks, Mer. Do you mind not telling anyone for now, though? Just until Sam and I start telling people… that means Dean, too. Just uh, ask surprised when we finally tell you!"

I chuckled, "I promise."

* * *

><p>"Tonight was great with Blake and Cameron. I've missed them a lot," I said as soon as Dean got home.<p>

"Yeah, me too. The kid's really making a life for himself in the big apple, huh?" Dean asked back.

"Seems so," I replied. I studied Dean's face and seemed kind of preoccupied with something else.

"What're you thinking about?"

"Nothing… just… Castiel was supposed to wipe their memory but it wore off… do you think… I mean, Cas cloaked our boys until they were eighteen. What if that wears off too?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "I've been thinking about that too."

"Meredith… I'm scared," Dean admitted.

I nodded, pulling him into my arms, "I know, me too, but right now all we can do is focus on the present. We can't worry too much but for now, we can definitely be a little more cautious… Just until we get some answers."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Sorry updates have been super slow this week. I should be getting some out tonight. Also, I just posted a new banner to my profile for THIS story and a sweet, little, video that i made about Dean and Jude and their relationship as a whole. I've decided that Jude will be portrayed by the PRECIOUS Pierce Gagnon.

Thanks so much!

Also, a shoutout to everyone who is contantly reviewing, including sam and dean crazy ass wench, Tiffany Kai, DancingDynasty, Deangirl93, lillieknux21, and Johanna24


	47. Growing Up Too Fast

"Is there anything I can help with?" Dean asked.

I shook my head, "Nope, I think I've got it all under control. Why don't you take the boys upstairs to the playroom and play a board game or something, with them."

"Ooh, Daddy, can we play monopoly?" Jude asked, excitedly.

"Why so you can kick my butt at it again?" Dean teased.

"Hm, if I recall I used to kick your butt at monopoly too," I said, teasing him about the time we played monopoly on our honeymoon and I won every time.

"Yeah, well, you never really were that good at poker so I feel like it evens out," Dean replied, picking up on my hint and winking at me.

I looked down at Jude and notice something unusual, "Jude, what's that on your shoe?"

"What?" Jude asked, looking down at his shoe and then looking back up at me.

"Well, you've got one pink shoe lace and one white shoe lace, buddy," I pointed out.

"Oh, yeah. Katarina Granger gave it to me in play group. She's going to be in my first grade class to so she gave it to me and said that if I took it, we would be boyfriend and girlfriend," Jude replied, blushing and looking down at his shoe lace.

"Wow, what a gutsy girl," I nodded.

"Jude's got a girlfriend," Dean said in a singsong voice.

"Dad!" Jude whined.

"Jude, I thought you still thought that girls had cooties," I started.

Jude shook his head, "Not anymore. Not Katarina Granger." A small smile spread across his face and we knew that he was trying to hide a big smile.

"Well, look at you, buddy. Barely in the first grade and already you've got a girlfriend. That's my boy!" Dean said, giving his son a high five. I laughed and rolled my eyes playfully. "This is definitely monopoly worthy. Go get your brother and the three of us will go upstairs and get the game ready for your Mommy. Jude nodded and Dean went picked up John from his high chair, taking him upstairs, Jude following along.

Jude had a girlfriend. It felt like just yesterday he was covering his eyes as Dean and I kissed in the kitchen but my son really was growing up. Dean and I were only a year older than him when we met each other. The whole shoelace thing was really cute too…

I finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher and started up the dishwasher. I started up the dishwasher before hearing a loud clang, as if something had fell, coming from upstairs in the playroom. Maybe they just knocked over something. My worst nightmare was beginning to come true as soon as I heard more. There was a scream and then John started to cry. I could hear things slamming against the wall and Dean yell.

"Mer, demons! Jude, take your brother and run!" he shouted, hoping that I heard him.

Luckily, I did. I began to panic but reminded myself to stay calm because my family needed me. I ran into our bedroom as quickly as I could and got the Ruby's old demon killing knife. Ruby had been good for only one thing – this knife. I grasped it firmly in my hands and raced upstairs to the playroom to see two demons attacking Dean, and Jude and John huddled in a corner, Jude shielding his little brother, his eyes averted from what was going on.

"Mama!" Jude cried, seeing me.

"I'm here, baby," I said.

"Damn it!" Dean yelled. One demon threw Dean against the wall and I charged after him.

"Mer, the boys!" Dean yelled again. I turned around to see the second demon going towards our sons and I screamed. I ran towards the other demon while Dean lunged up off the floor and threw another punch at the first demon that had thrown him down. I charged for the second demon, stabbing him with the demon killing knife as he was mere centimeters from the boys. The body fell to the floor and I threw it backwards, away from our sons.

"Dean, hold him down!" I ordered. The demon looked from me to Dean but we were too quick. Dean had him in headlock as the demon tried to squirm free. I raised my knife to the demon as the demon quickly flew out of the host's body. "Damn it."

"Boys, are you okay?" Dean asked. I turned around and the two of us exchanged glances before running over and kneeling down in front of our sons.

"Oh my God," I gasped. Jude let go of John and I held the crying toddler in my arms, holding him close to me. "Oh my God. I'm so sorry, baby."

"Mama, were they trying to hurt us?" Jude asked, fear in his eyes.

I nodded, "Yeah, but we're never going to let that happen."

"Your mom is right. We're never going to let them touch you boys," Dean swore.

I took in a deep breath, trying to process everything that had just happened. I gave Dean John, and John clung to his father.

"Are you okay, Jude?" I asked.

"Yes, Mom," he replied.

"Thank you for protecting your brother," I said.

"You did a good job, son," Dean approved.

"Where am I?" I heard a voice say, coming from host that hadn't been killed yet. He groaned.

"I'll take him to the hospital and take care of the other body. You take care of the boys," I said.

"Okay," Dean said back. The two of us exchanged a look that said, 'shit, what just happened', before we went our separate ways.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Daddy, don't want to sleep alone," John said, clinging to his father as Dean desperately tried to put John to sleep.

"You don't? Look, I know that what happened tonight was really scary, but we're not going to let anything happen to you. I promise," Dean said back.

"Don't want to sleep alone," John repeated, shaking his head and burying his face into his father's chest. Dean's was in so much pain. He hated that his sons had to go through that and to see his son like this, it was the worst.

"Dad!" Jude exclaimed, running into John's room.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked, panicked.

"Nothing. I just don't want to be alone," Jude replied.

Dean sighed. He was so angry at these demons and angry at this stupid supernatural world that was beginning to force his sons into the life. He didn't want this for them. He wouldn't put them throw what his father had put him and Sam through. He swore he wouldn't. He cursed Cas' name. Cas was supposed to protect them but his magic had worn off. It had worn off on Blake and Cameron and was now wearing off on his sons.

"Hm… alright, buddy. Why don't we blow up the air mattress and you and Jude can sleep on it tonight in me and your mom's room? How does that sound?" Dean proposed. John nodded, his sad eyes looking into his father's.

"Can we?" Jude asked.

"Of course," Dean replied. "Come on. Let's go downstairs. Oh and Jude, there's something I'm going to need your help with."

"Okay, Daddy," Jude replied. Dean carried John downstairs with Jude and Dean went into him and Meredith's bedroom, turning the light on.

"Sit right here, okay? Jude, watch over your brother," Dean ordered. "I'll be right back. I promise." Dean hurried and got a big box of salt from the kitchen cabinets before returning to the bedroom. "Jude, could you help?"

"Sure. Daddy, I got the air mattress out for you. And we can blow it up later though," Jude replied, getting off of the bed and going to his dad.

"I'm going to teach you a trick, okay, and I never want you to forget it, you hear me?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Jude replied.

"If you lay out a line of salt at the windows and doors, it keeps spirits from coming in. Right here, you see this?" Dean asked gently, salting the bedroom door.

"Why don't you do the window?" Dean asked, handing his son the box of rock salt.

"It can protect us from bad things?" Jude asked, his eyes gleaming with hope.

"Yeah. At least some of the bad things that are out there," Dean nodded.

"Thanks, Dad," Jude said back. Jude went over to the windows and drew a line of salt like his dad did.

"That's good, Jude," Dean said. "That's really good. And in the future, you want to make sure that the salt line never gets broken or else the spirit will be able to come in."

"Are there spirits trying to hurt us too?" Jude asked.

"Right now? I don't think so, but we've got to be careful. The salt lines can protect against demons too," Dean replied.

"So salt really works?" Jude asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, it does. God, I can't believe we forgot the playroom. We salted inside the walls of both you and John's rooms so they should be demon/spirit proof. The playroom isn't. We'll fix that," Dean said.

"Okay," Jude said back.

"Daddy, can I have juice?" John asked.

Dean took a deep breath, "You know, what? Sure. We're not going to be serious anymore, okay? This is going to be fun. You guys get to camp in our room… why don't I go get some juice and we can make some popcorn. I'll go get some books too and we'll read them."

Dean didn't want to force his kids to grow up any faster than they already were. He was determined to lighten this up even though inside, he wanted to punch a wall or break a glass.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

I got back from the hospital and went inside the house.

"Dean, it's me!" I called from the front. I didn't want to scare or alert him in any way.

"We're in here," Dean called. It sounded like he was calling from the bedroom.

"Hey," I said, opening the door to our bedroom to see the air mattress out and all made up, Jude and John sitting on it. They had a half eaten bowl of popcorn and Dean and Jude were playing go fish. I chuckled, seeing the three of them. "What's going on?"

"Oh, we're just having a fun guys' night," Dean shrugged. I smiled. Dean made me so incredibly happy – especially that he wasn't forcing demon lore down their throats and was distracting them.

"Any chance a girl could join in?" I asked, stepping over the solid salt line.

"Hm… maybe. Since you're my mom," Jude said back.

"Mama!" John exclaimed.

"I guess so, since you're my beautiful wife. But this exception only goes for you," Dean replied.

I smiled, "Sounds great."

* * *

><p>Once the boys were asleep, Dean and I got to talking.<p>

"Some night, huh?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "God, Cas' magic wore off, didn't it? Damn it."

"You know, you we made a pretty good team back there, you and I," Dean started.

"Look at you, Mr. Optimism," I giggled.

"Believe me, Mer, I'm pissed. I just want to break something. They're just kids!" Dean exclaimed.

"I know, I know. Me too. I mean, Dean, what're we supposed to do now? I just… I feel so lost…" I sighed.

Dean swallowed hard, "We train them."

"Yeah, I know. It's- it's definitely time, but I don't want to drag them into the life. I really don't," I started.

"Well neither do I! Look, we'll do it like you were raised. John and Jude can live perfectly normal lives outside of this home, but we're going to teach them what they need to know to survive and defend themselves. You know, Jude did some of the salt lines. We'll teach them those things. We'll teach them how to shoot when they're old enough. Teach them the rules, what's out there and how to kill it… but other than that, they get to be normal. We won't drag them out on hunts… just when they need to learn it. Just like you did and uh… you're a pretty damn good hunter, if I say so myself," Dean said.

"Well, coming from you, that's a compliment," I giggled.

"What? We all know that you can kick some serious demon ass, Meredith Winchester," Dean smiled a crooked smile.

I bit my lip, "Thanks, babe. You're… pretty amazing yourself. Do we need to count how many times you've evaded death?"

Dean chuckled, "Are you okay with all of this?"

I nodded slowly, "Yeah… I mean, I kind of have to be. I just, I'm scared, Dean and I really hope that they don't feel like they're being forced to grow up too fast."

"Me too, babe," Dean agreed.

"Come on, baby. We should get to sleep. We've got Sam and Sawyer's 4th of July thing tomorrow," I started.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, I need to tell Sam about this," Dean started.

"I know, but wait for the right time. We've always done 4th of July at the park or at the Falcon but this is Sam's first thing he's hosted as a father, and a husband. It's his first real apple pie life thing that he's actually hosting so we shouldn't ruin that for him," I replied.

"He needs to know, Mer," Dean argued.

"I know. Just… don't tell him right away. Maybe later at the party," I said.

"You're right…" Dean trailed off.

"I love you, you know that?" I asked.

"I love you," Dean said back.

* * *

><p>AN: It's a shorter chapter, I know, but I wanted to get this up and I have a lot going in the next chapter. I figured it'd be good to just separate them.


	48. The 4th of July

I finished putting the brownie batter in the pan and left the messy bowl on the counter with the spatula inside. I opened the oven door, taking out the mac and cheese and then put the brownies in the oven. Sam and Sawyer were going to take care of whatever was being grilled while Molly and Ethan, Dean and I, and Andrea were all in charge of bringing side dishes.

"Ooh, brownie batter," Dean said, coming into the kitchen and sticking his finger into the brownie batter.

"I hope it's good. Oh, and you probably shouldn't have said that," I chuckled.

"Why not?" Dean asked.

"Brownie batter!" Jude exclaimed, running into the kitchen.

"Boys," I laughed, shaking my head at the three of them.

"Yes, you guys can lick the spatula, but you're going to have to share with your dad and John," I said, giving Jude the brownie batter-covered spatula. I laughed a little.

"Alright, you can have this side, Daddy and then John and I will share this side," Jude delegated.

"Oh no, you and your brother can have the rest of it. I only want this much," Dean said, taking a little more brownie batter on his finger and then standing up and letting the boys eat the rest of it. I giggled and ran the bowl underneath water.

"Hey, you," Dean said, kissing me on the cheek and wrapping his arms around me. I smiled and turned around, kissing him on the lips once. "You're an amazing cook, you know that?"

"Thank you, baby. Hey, can you get the boys ready to go? Once the brownies are done, we should head over to Sawyer and Sam's so we aren't late," I asked.

"Uh, yeah, of course. And about telling Sam… I think you're right. I'll find the right time, okay? Don't worry. Let's just- let's let the boys enjoy the night, demon free. I hope we can get them to sleep in their own beds tonight too," Dean replied.

I nodded, "Okay."

"Alright boys, let's go upstairs. Enough of that brownie batter. We've got to go get ready to go over to Uncle Sammy's, okay? You can have the real stuff when your mommy is done with the actual cooked brownies," Dean said.

"Can we see fireworks too? It is fourth of July," Jude asked.

"Of course! That's why we're doing this at your Uncle Sammy's house. His house is closest to the park that they do the fireworks and we realized that we could see the fireworks from his house so we wouldn't have to drive all over the city to see some fireworks," Dean replied.

"Rain though?" John asked.

"Nah, it won't rain, buddy. It's a beautiful day! Come on, let's go get ready, kiddos," Dean said, chuckling, and ushering his children out of the kitchen. Dean looked back at me, exchanging glances with me and I just laughed. I loved my husband and he was an amazing father. He was doing an amazing job with the kids today, distracting them and not obsessing over what happened last night.

* * *

><p>As soon as we got to Sam and Sawyer's apartment, they showed us over to the picnic shelter. I put the food down on one of the picnic table and Sam already had the grill fired up and was going. I chuckled. He looked so in his element right there, grilling burgers, and being all apple pie.<p>

"Hi, baby," Sawyer smiled, kissing her husband on the cheek. She had Cole in her arms. The little one year old was getting bigger every day.

"Mama! Come play tag with us!" Jude exclaimed, running around in circles around my legs.

"Maybe later, sweetheart. I've got to go say hi to your Aunt Molly and then help Sam. Why don't you go ask your dad to play tag with you?" I asked.

"Okay, Mama! But you said that you would come play tag though, so you have to come play tag with me later," Jude replied .

I laughed, "Yeah, okay. I will. I will when I'm done." Jude ran towards Dean and I chuckled to myself as Jude ran off. He was still wearing that shoe lace. John was sitting at the picnic table, his legs swinging off the bench.

"What's with the shoe lace?" Molly asked, coming up behind me.

"Can I go sit?" Renee asked, wriggling in her mom's arms.

"Sure, go sit with your friend John, okay?" Molly suggested. She put Renee down and Renee took little steps before going to sit on the wooden picnic table bench, next to John.

"Oh, Jude has a girlfriend," I replied.

"What?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, you know Katarina Granger from the play group? Well, apparently she gave him one of her shoe laces and told Jude that if he took it, it meant that they would be boyfriend and girlfriend," I replied.

"Aw, she's cute. That's adorable, Mer. What a brave girl, making the first move like that," Molly commented.

I laughed, "I know, that's what I said! But yeah, Jude has a girlfriend now. You know, I used to remember when Jude thought that girls had cooties… and now he has a girlfriend. Hah, you should've seen Dean. He just gave him a high five. Next play group, I think Jude's going to ask her over for a play date. Ah, he's growing up…

Molly chuckled, "Well, if it makes you feel better, I don't think that Renee will ever think boys will have cooties… well at least not when it comes to John."

"I think we all saw that one coming. The two are inseparable," I replied.

"You think they'll be just like you and Dean? You know, the whole, in love with each other for a million years? I just hope that they won't have to go through what you and Dean went through, for both of their sakes. You and Dean went through so much…" Renee said.

"Yeah. But honestly, I kind of hope they do end up together," I said back.

"Me too. Ah, you know Ethan's head might spin around if they do," Molly teased.

"Yeah… my husband likes to teach his sons some strange stuff but, I'll make sure he's raised as a gentleman," I replied.

Molly smiled, "Good, for both Renee, Ethan, and my sake."

"Mer, thanks for bringing over that mac and cheese. It looks delicious," Sawyer said, joining in the conversation. "Sorry, were you two in the middle of something?"

"No, we were just talking about how our kids might end up together," Molly replied.

Sawyer laughed, "They're two years old and already you're playing match maker?" Both Molly and I joined in in the laughter.

"So, look at you. This is you and Sam's first big thing," I started.

"Yeah. Sam is so in his element," Sawyer replied.

"We can tell," Molly replied.

"I brought some apple pie and some ice cream. Is there any place I can put the ice cream so that it doesn't melt?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, why don't you come with me? I'll show you where the apartment is and we can put it in the freezer until it's time. Thank you so much, Andrea. You don't know how much we needed your pie. It's perfect for tonight," Sawyer replied, all smiley and giggly. I could tell that Sawyer felt on top of the world too. She wasn't the only one who was completely in her element right now.

"Here, I'll take Cole for you," I offered.

"Thanks, Mer," Sawyer replied, handing me my nephew.

Once the food was done, we all sat down at the long picnic table for dinner. John sat with Renee, while Jude sat with next to Dean. I sat next to Dean on his other side, Molly and Ethan right next to me. Sam, Cole, and Sawyer sat on the opposite side, with Andrea.

"Sam this is great," I said, taking a bite of my burger.

"Yeah, dude. Nice. I didn't know you had it in ya," Dean replied.

Sam rolled his eyes, laughing a little, "Well, I'll take that as a compliment, Dean. Thanks, Meredith."

"I'd like to propose a toast to Sam and Sawyer. You finally got your apple pie life and this is definitely representative of it. You deserve it, the both of you, after all you guys went through. It took you… well pretty much forever to get together. But now you're here, married, with your beautiful son, and you're going to be parents for the second time now," I said.

"Aw, thanks, Mer," Sawyer smiled.

"Well, we want to thank everyone for coming and bringing food and just… well, this is our family. Because of you guys, we know that Cole is going to grow up with tons of brothers and sisters – not just his biological future brother or sister," Sam added.

"Okay, before this all gets too mushy…" Dean started.

"Yeah, alright, I'll stop," I giggled, rolling my eyes playfully.

"Happy fourth of July!" Molly added.

"Mama! Look at the fireworks! Dad, don't you see them?" Jude asked, pointing at the sky as the fireworks began to explode in the sky.

"Would you look at that?" I asked.

"It's pretty cool, isn't it, buddy?" Dean added.

"Yeah," Jude said, enchanted with the beautiful colors in the sky.

**~3****rd ****Person POV~**

Later on that night, they moved the festivities into Sam and Sawyer's apartment. The kids were eating pie at the table and the rest of everyone else was just talking, scattered through the kitchen and the living room.

"Sam, can I talk to you?" Dean asked, approaching his brother once he had a moment alone. He had a beer in his hand and leaned against the kitchen counter as he brother put away the rest of the paper plates.

"Yeah, what's up?" Sam asked.

"Look, I don't want to bring you down or anything because I can see you're kind of on top of the world right now but… there's something I should tell you," Dean started.

"Whatever it is, Dean, you can tell me. It doesn't matter. I'm- I should know, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, uh, we were attacked last night. We were in the playroom and these demons just showed up. The boys were… so scared," Dean said.

"Oh my God, is everything okay?" Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah, we're fine. Meredith was downstairs when it happened so she grabbed Ruby's knife and ran upstairs. She killed the first demon but the second one got away… which really sucks but the boys are okay. Jude learned how to salt the windows and doors last night. You know, first, he gets a girlfriend and then learns about hunting… it's all happening too fast," Dean explained.

"Oh, well, it's good that everything is okay, but what's going to happen. Do you think it has anything to do with the prophecy? I thought Cas cloaked the house and the boys," Sam started.

"I know, me too, but uh, Cameron and Blake came back. I think it wore off… I mean, what're we supposed to do, man? We can't get attacked every day. How are we supposed to handle that? I don't want to have to train them too early – well I don't want to have to train them at all – but Meredith and I both agreed that we needed to teach them how to defend themselves – how to hunt," Dean replied.

"I'm so sorry, Dean. I don't know what to tell you. If- if you need any help with anything," Sam started.

"Yeah, thanks. I'll let you know… if we do. I just, we thought you needed to know," Dean said.

"Yeah, I'm glad you told me," Sam replied.

"Well, look at yourself Sammy. This is so apple pie," Dean said, changing the subject.

"You know, I started to say that this wasn't what I wanted until I had it. I wanted this from the beginning… I think I always did," Sam said.

"We all knew you wanted it," Dean said back, nudging his brother.

"Shut up," Sam rolled his eyes.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Hey, how're you holding up?" Andrea asked.

"Fine, thanks," I replied. "How about you?"

"I'm good. You know, Meredith, Dean told me what happened last night… if you need anything, if you need me to watch the boys any time, you know I still know how to protect against supernatural things," Andrea offered.

I smiled, "Thanks. God, did you ever worry about anything like this when you had Ethan?"

"Of course, Will and I did. We quit so young that we were so sure that something would follow us home or- , but nothing did. I know you love your sons and you and Dean and are going to find a way around this. I know you're afraid of forcing them into the life, but you can do it the way you were raised," Andrea said.

I chuckled, "You know, that's exactly what Dean said."

"Great minds think alike. The boy's a lot smarter than we all give him credit for," Andrea chuckled.

"Yeah he is. You know, he had me edit one of his papers and it was actually really good," I started.

"I'm not surprised," Andrea added.

"Thanks, Andrea… for the talk and everything," I smiled.

"Ah, I practically raised you. That's what I'm here for," Andrea replied. I leaned my head against her shoulder and smiled. It felt good to be with family.

* * *

><p>"Andrea, this apple pie is perfect," Sam complimented.<p>

"Thanks. I was glad to make it," Andrea replied.

"No wonder that café has been up and running forever," Ethan commented.

"Well, you know, one day, it might be soon for me to retire in a couple of years… I turn 60 this year. Give me… five-ten years or so," Andrea started.

"What?" I asked.

"Well, it gets cold up here in Sioux Falls. I think it's time for a change soon," Andrea shrugged.

"Well, who will run the café?" Ethan asked, on the edge of his seat.

"I don't know… maybe we'll close it down. That thing's been going on for too long," Andrea replied.

"But- but The Falcon is a legacy!" I protested.

Ethan and I exchanged glances. The Falcon was where we had grown up. So much had happened there. We had memories of so many important things there: wedding receptions, birthdays, Dean and I's second kiss… the beginnings of everything. Ethan and I used to run around in there and help out when we were kids and then when we were old enough to actually get jobs, we worked in the café. Blake and Cameron did too. The idea of it disappearing was too much to wrap my head around.

"Oh, don't tell me that you're afraid of a little change," Andrea started.

"Uh, no," I stammered.

"Right, um… yeah Mom-, no," Ethan said.

But the Falcon disappearing wasn't a little change, it was a huge change. It was a home away from home for us and we wanted that for our children…

"Don't get your panties in a bunch, you two. It won't be for years before I decide to retire the cafe!" Andrea said.

I took a deep breath but it just felt like there was too much change happening.

* * *

><p>As soon as we got home, the boys went up to bed. Dean convinced them to sleep in their own rooms and that their rooms were demon proof. Jude salted his and his brother's rooms anyways.<p>

"Hey, Dean, you coming to bed?" I asked, as Dean sat on the couch, flipping through one of Bobby's demon books that we ended up being able to salvage.

"You know, he's going to have to learn that driving a stake through a vampire's heart is a myth and that what you really have to do is cut the heads off," Dean started.

"Dean, come to bed, please. Enough with the demon books," I said.

Dean sighed, putting the book on the coffee table, "Some coffee table book, huh?"

"Dean, are you alright?" I asked, softly.

Dean sat there for a moment in silence. He swallowed hard before getting up and turning around to face me, "You know what? I'm not alright. I'm pissed, Meredith! I know I've been acting okay about all of this and I've been okay with the boys, but I'm not. I'm doing it for them I-, I just… how could he do that to us? How could he leave us blindly and then expect us to clean up his mess? Damn it, Cas! He was supposed to protect us but he failed because he- he was working with a frickin' demon! He fucked this up for us, Meredith. You know, tonight was great, but at the same time, all I could think about was how we're not going to get that. We're not going to have a one hundred percent apple pie life because of this stupid prophecy and because Cas wanted to play god! It's not fair to them, Meredith. John and Jude… how are we going to expect them to- I knew how to shoot a gun before- I don't want that for them."

"Dean," I said, walking over to him and pulling him into my arms. "Just hold me. Just- just hold me because I'm scared to and I hate this and… just hold me."

"Okay," Dean said, nodding his head.

After holding each other for a while, we pulled away.

"I know, Dean. It does suck. But we're going to make it work. Jude and John are going to grow up to be great boys… and great hunters. We're going to have both, I promise. I'll make sure of it," I said back.

"But how can you promise that? We can't do that," Dean started.

"Dean, we got married and got pregnant before you went to hell. You came back from hell and then we somehow managed to raise a boy when you were on the road. We made it through a year without Sam and about half a year with a soulless Sam. We had a second son, Dean! We somehow pushed through two affairs – yours and then mine if you count that," I said.

"Mer, you didn't-," Dean began.

I shook my head, "No, Dean… you can't excuse me for that. I was emotionally intimate with someone that wasn't you. That counts as an affair. We made it through that and our sons are happy and healthy, and strong. We can do this too."

Dean smiled, "How do you always know what I need to hear?"

I shrugged and giggled, "Because I love you and because it's true. We're going to do this – even if it means without Cas."

"Looks like you didn't need us after all. I'll uh, give a helping hand though," Dean and I both heard a voice say. We turned around, on guard and ready to throw punches when we saw a woman with soft, light, blonde hair. "It's okay. I'm an angel." She then showed us her wings, just the way that Castiel did that night in the barn.

"Wh-," I started.

"How?" Dean asked, holding me close to him, protectively.

"I am Nimtherial. An angel of the Lord," the angel said stoically.

"No, this is the last thing we need right now. We can't have another angel promising to protect us only to be attacked by demons and… god damn purgatory. No!" I said.

"Castiel's magic wore off because he was a rebel. He defied us," the angel argued back.

"So what, you're going to help us and it'll work because you're god's bitch?" Dean asked, defensively.

"I'll take that as a 'thank you'," the angel said back. "Look, we heard about what happened last night with the demons. We thought it was taken care of but Cas was a traitor. We'll recloak your sons and the house and all will be fine. You should still teach them how to defend themselves because it only lasts until they're eighteen."

"You can't just waltz in here and-," Dean started. Nimtherial waved her hand and there was a flash before everything was restored. It was done.

"You're welcome," Nimtherial said.

I nodded, "Thanks. Uh… why though? Cas was close to us… but why you?"

"It's like the night with the vampires. These boys are important and we don't want them falling into the wrong hands," Nimtherial said, before disappearing.


	49. New Things

A/n: This one is a little short but I hope it's worth it. Woohoooo i'm about to hit my 50th chapter. I've got some big news in the next chapter. I'm excited! Sorry for all the time jumping. It's not big time jumping like years or several months. Just about a month and then a couple of weeks. The last section of the chapter takes place after Dean's first week as a teacher.

* * *

><p>I breathed heavily, stretching and gulping tons of sips from my water bottle. It was towards the end of July so running in the afternoon had been a very bad idea. It was so hot outside. I couldn't wait to get home and take a shower since I was so sweaty.<p>

"That was good… I miss running," I said.

"Me too. Thanks for going running with me by the way. Sawyer wasn't up for it today. She said that it was too hot out and you know Dean. Dean hates running and doesn't even get it," Sam said back.

"Yeah, I can't run with him and Molly is out of town. We should just be running buddies since no one else will run with us," I suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea," Sam replied. "How have you and Dean been ever since the whole angel thing and the demon attacks?"

"We're good, I guess. There haven't been any attacks so far so I guess this angel chick must be for real. She's… she's the way that Cas was when we first met her but she's not all rebellious like Cas. The boys are still a little shaken up but we've been teaching Jude a couple of things," I said back.

"That's good that there haven't been any attacks though," Sam said.

I chuckled, "I knew there was a reason I liked you. You're always seeing the positive side of things."

"Thanks… well I should be getting home. I've got to go home and shower quickly. We have an appointment today," Sam said.

I smiled, "Aw, that's great! Two month check up?"

"Yeah," Sam smiled proudly.

"That's great. Well good luck and let me know how it goes," I said back.

"Thanks," Sam replied.

"Oh, and by the way, maybe we should run in the morning next time. It's so hot outside," I said.

"That sounds like a plan," Sam replied, before we parted ways.

I got back into my car and drove home. I couldn't wait to just jump in the shower. I was sweaty and gross but there was a nice breeze today so I drove with the windows down. It was a beautiful day and I was in a ridiculously good mood for some reason. I parked in the car and jogged up the steps to our house, opening the door. I slipped off my shoes at the door and walked into the house, closing the door behind me.

"Hello?" I asked. The house seemed empty but I saw Dean's car in the driveway.

"Mer?" Dean called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked, going into the kitchen with him.

"Mer, I got my grades. They sent them to me. I just got them in the mail, Mer," Dean said.

"Oh my God! How are they?" I asked.

"I don't know," Dean said nervously.

"Wait, what?" I asked.

"Well, I haven't exactly opened it yet! I… I wanted to wait for you," Dean replied.

"Oh no, okay um, well, you've got to do it, Dean! You've been working your ass of in those classes! You're going to be fine," I said, walking towards him and taking the envelope. I started to open the envelope but Dean freaked out.

"Meredith, what're you doing?"

"Come on, Dean. You've got to know at some point. Besides, you just said that you were waiting for me to open them. I'm here now. Dean, it's like ripping off a band aid," I convinced.

"Okay," Dean said, taking a deep breath. I opened the envelope all the way and opened up the letter. I looked over it over and over again. "Well?"

"Dean," I started.

"Oh, no, it's bad. It's awful. I failed, didn't I? Damn it. I worked so hard and-," Dean began to ramble.

"No! Dean, you passed!" I interjected.

Dean stopped and turned around to look at me, "I passed?"

"These are all A's and B's, baby," I replied.

"I passed!" he exclaimed, a huge grin spreading across his face.

"You did better than pass. You passed with flying colors! Look at this!" I said, showing him the grades. He looked over them and his smile only grew.

"You scared me for a moment there, babe," Dean said.

I giggled, "I'm sorry. Ugh, you're amazing!" I pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss.

"I love you," Dean said.

"I love you too," I replied, in between kisses. The kisses got faster and more urgent as Dean pushed me up against the kitchen counters, pulling me in close to him. "Uh uh. Dean, we can't right now. Where are the boys? We shouldn't-."

"The boys are at their playgroup and we can pick them up in about an hour. I think we should do a little celebrating of our own," Dean smirked, crashing his lips against mine.

I giggled, "Well, if they're out… wait, no I look disgusting. I need to go take a shower and-."

"I can join you," Dean suggested, wiggling his eyebrows.

I smirked, "Okay." I took Dean's hand and he and I hurried into the bathroom.

LINEBREAK

Dean and I stood on the doorstep to Heather Morris' house. Heather Morris was one of the moms in our play group who happened to be hosting the play group this week. Dean had knocked on the door and we were waiting for someone to answer it so that we could pick up Jude and John.

"Stop that," I said.

"What?" Dean asked, glancing over at me.

"Stop looking at me like we just did dirty things to each other," I replied.

"But we did just do dirty things to each other," Dean reminded.

"I know, babe. I was there," I giggled.

"Yeah, you were!" he exclaimed.

"Quit it, you," I said, taking his hands off of me but Dean was insistent and began to tickle me. "Dean, quit it! Stop, you're gonna-."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Heather Morris said, opening the door. Dean and I froze and then looked up at her.

"Nope, nothing," I said, straightening up.

"Yep," Dean said.

"Why don't you two come in? John and Jude had a lot of fun today," Heather suggested. We followed her inside, just after exchanging a small laugh. "Jude is such a doll. He helped me with the cookies – well, he and little Katarina."

"Oh, right. Katarina…" Dean said.

"Mama!" I heard someone yell, very soon after, felt a pair of little arms wrap around my legs.

"Hey, how's my little man?" I asked, picking John up in my arms.

"Made cookies," John smiled, a toothy smile.

"So I heard. You'll have to thank Mrs. Morris for having you all over," I said.

"Thank you," John replied, before burying his face in my shoulder. I chuckled.

"Dad, Mom, are you here?" we heard a voice ask. Both Dean and I turned around to see John behind us with a little girl with long, wavy brown hair.

"Hey, kiddo. We heard that you were really helpful today," Dean started.

"Dad, this is Katarina Granger. We share shoelaces," Jude introduced.

I smiled, "Well, it's very nice to meet you Katarina. I like your little bow in your hair. It's pretty."

She smiled back, "Thanks, Mrs. Winchester. Jude said his favorite color was blue so I wore a blue one today."

"Well, that's very sweet, now isn't it?" I asked, raising and eyebrow.

"Nice, buddy," Dean congratulated his son. I rolled my eyes playfully.

"Okay, we should get going. Say goodbye to your… friend, Jude," I began.

"Aw, already?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, sorry," Dean replied.

"Hm… hey do you think Katarina could come over to our house some time? Her mom said that it would be okay. You can talk to her if you want. Her mom is in the other room and she can come over for a play date sometime," Jude asked.

Dean and I exchanged glances. "He means serious business, huh? That's my boy," Dean said to me.

I giggled, "That would be great, but right now, we've got to get going. How about I call your mom later today or tomorrow, Katarina?"

"Okay," she smiled.

"Okay," I said back.

* * *

><p>July came and went and August was over soon as well. School was starting back up today and I already had everything ready for the at least the first semester of the year – that was if things would go the way I planned them for the curriculum. Dean had been setting up his new office too. His office was more for the assistant coach part of his job but he was excited to teach auto shop. I was happy for him too. Dean and I were both getting ready for the day, now. I smoothed out my black dress that was ¾ sleeves and belted at the waist and slipped on my black heels.<p>

"Hey, you look beautiful," Dean said, kissing my cheek before pulling his shirt on.

"Lucky for you the auto shop teacher doesn't have to wear formal clothes. You get to work on cars all day," I said, as I noticed that he was wearing one of his plaid button downs, a pair of jeans, and his favorite boots.

"These are my favorite boots," he shrugged.

"I know," I giggled.

"They're for good luck, you know?" Dean asked. Dean was tying up his shoes and I climbed on the bed behind him.

"Babe, don't be nervous. You're going to be great. I mean, you already know so much about cars already and you passed your courses this summer with flying colors. You're going to be amazing," I said, gently massaging his shoulders.

"Mmm, that feels really good, babe," Dean groaned.

I giggled, kissing his cheek once before getting off the bed and heading towards our bedroom door, "Come on. John has daycare and Jude has his first day of the first grade. You know he's been excited for this all week. His girlfriend is in his first grade class. Besides, you and I need to get to school."

"Hey, I have a job. That's new…" Dean noticed.

"I know. Come on," I said, taking Dean's hand in mine and leading him out of our room and into the kitchen.

"Good luck at your first day, Daddy," Jude said to his father as we came into the kitchen. Jude was sitting there eating some cereal out of a bowl.

"Thanks, kiddo. You too," Dean replied.

"Dad, it's not really my first day. I've been to school for a year now. A whole year! This is only first grade," Jude replied.

"Yeah, but it's your first day back. You're going to be at a school kid for two years after this," Dean replied.

"Two years? I'm getting old, aren't I?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up. He was so insistent lately on being a 'grown up'.

I laughed, "Yeah, with many more to come, hopefully."

"Mama, can I have cereal too?" John asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat curled up on his kitchen chair.

"Sure, here… what kind of cereal do you want?" I asked.

"Cheerios. Like Jude," John replied. "Please."

"Okay, here you go. Just tell me when to stop pouring the milk okay," I suggested. I poured him milk until John literally said 'when', which made me laugh.

We finished breakfast and made our morning rounds to all the different places. We dropped John off at daycare first, and then dropped Jude off at school. Dean suggested us walking in with him but Jude was insistent that he could do it all by himself. The last stop was at the high school where Dean and I parked.

"You nervous?" I asked.

"Not really… a little maybe. But not really," Dean replied. I couldn't tell whether or not he was hiding his fear or he really wasn't nervous.

"Don't be," I said, before pulling him in for a long, passionate kiss.

"What was that for?" Dean asked as I pulled away and he looked at me, dumbstruck by the kiss.

"Just for good luck," I smirked, before getting out of the car.

"Well, I'll be damned," Dean smiled, getting out of the car with me. I brought my bag in and Dean and I walked into school, hand in hand. "Have a great first day and if any of those horny try to give you any trouble, you let me know, okay? I'll be just down the hall."

"That's right, you will be. And as for the horny high schools boys, I think I should be fine. I do happen to have one of my own." I teased Dean.

"Oh shut up," Dean said, jokingly.

I giggled and rolled my eyes playfully, "Have a great first day, too. And if you need me, I'll be down the hall, in my classroom, with all those horny high schools boys. Who knows? There are endless possibilities."

"Okay, enough of that. And if you keep it up, I may just have to punish you," Dean smirked, leaning in to kiss me.

"Dean, we can't do this here," I said.

"What the kissing or the dirty talk?" Dean asked, his voice low and husky and way too tempting for right now.

"Both. Get to class," I replied, kissing him once, before walking away from him.

"Just remember, you're my girl, Meredith Winchester," Dean called after me. I turned around to look at him once and smiled, before continuing to go to my class room. Things were going to get really interesting with Dean working at the school now and honestly, I wasn't complaining. I was overjoyed and happy that it felt like Dean was finally starting to find his place in this whole "apple pie" life that we didn't exactly know how to navigate. But here we were and Dean was really working things out. I had to admit that nothing made me happier.

* * *

><p>"Is this seat taken?" a voice asked. I looked up from my book and saw Dean sitting down at the picnic table outside of the school.<p>

"Not anymore. Hey, baby," I smiled, leaning in for a short kiss. Dean met my lips with his before pulling away. "So how's the first week gone?"

"Pretty good, if I say so myself," Dean replied.

"They're giving you too much of a hard time?" I asked, curiously.

"Nope, just some dudes wanting to learn about cars. We turn up the classic rock station and just work on cars, you know? It's actually kinda fun," Dean replied.

I smiled, "I'm glad. Well, you've survived your first week back at high school. Wow that sounds weird."

"Oh no, it is. It's been so weird being back here as a teacher. I never thought I'd stay at one school for more than a week or so but looks like I'm going to be here for a while," Dean said.

"Well, if it helps, I like it," I giggled.

"Oh, I do," he smirked.

"Ugh, Dean, do we really have to go there?" I groaned.

"Yes. At home. In the bedroom. You and me. Or… if you want to do it on the couch… or standing up," Dean smirked.

"Quit!" I exclaimed, nudging him playfully.

"Ow!" Dean said back.

"Oh, you had that coming," I shot back.


	50. Dean Really Is Superman

"Alright class, tomorrow read to page 56 and we'll pick up where we left off in our discussion tomorrow. Just remember to take notes in your book and have a nice-," I started, cutting myself off as soon as I felt a strong wave of nausea. I hadn't been feeling great for a couple of weeks but I had just passed it off as a little bug or something. It was towards the end of September and I thought maybe it was just a little cold or something.

Some of the students began to file out of the classroom but I pushed passed them and ran to the nearest bathroom, the girls' bathroom, throwing up. Ugh, this was bad… Maybe this little bug was a lot more. I should probably go home.

"Mrs. Winchester, is everything okay?" Amy asked, a girl in my first period class.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," I said back, flushing the toilet and then going outside of the bathroom stall to wash my hands.

"Are you sick or something? Feel better," she said, kindly.

"Thanks," I replied, just trying to recover.

That's when I spotted what she had in her hands: a tampon. I was supposed to get my period weeks ago and it was almost the end of September and I still hadn't gotten it. Oh no. This wasn't good. That would explain why I had been feeling so sluggish and tired and had been getting PMS symptoms with no actual cycle… but no. Dean and I had just gotten situated and were still trying to figure out raising John and Jude as almost hunters. I couldn't be pregnant again… I collected myself and walked back into my classroom, my students almost all ready to class to start up again. I pushed the thoughts from my mind because I had a second period class to teach.

Later on during third period, my students were meeting in their discussion groups as I took the attendance. I couldn't help myself. I was so curious and scared almost. I googled a pregnancy calculator date and answered some questions before getting my result. I stared at the screen in awe and shock. It read; "Congratulations, you're six weeks pregnant!" If I was pregnant, then I'd be six weeks along… but maybe I wasn't pregnant! That was barely a possibility at this point.

Just then, there was knock on the door and Dean came in.

"Hey, what're you doing here?" I asked.

"I don't have a third period class and one of the students in your first period class was talking about how you're an out of the room all sick or something," Dean replied.

"Oh, right. That," I said, quickly closing out of the pregnancy calculator thing.

"You okay, babe? Do you need to go home or-," Dean started.

"Not here, Dean. Just… come here," I said, standing up and pulling him out in the hallway.

"Mer, what's going on?" Dean asked.

"Dean, I threw up and I'm late. I've been feeling tired all the time lately and… I think I'm pregnant, Dean," I rambled before spitting out those last five words.

"Wait, what?" Dean asked, taken aback.

"I know," I said, swallowing and looking away.

"Look, Mer, it's fine. I'll go out during lunch and buy you a test. Don't stress out about this, okay?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "But how can I not?"

"Because you're an amazing teacher and you're going to go back in there and talk about English for like five hours straight because you're a nerd and you love it so much. Now go on," Dean encouraged.

"Hey, I am not a nerd!" I protested, giggling. Dean always knew how to cheer me up.

"Yeah, you are," Dean teased.

I giggled, "Yeah, I am." I looked back at Dean once before going back into the classroom. God, Dean was making it feel like it was all going to be okay but why couldn't I stop worrying?

* * *

><p>All through the day I tried to take Dean's advice about putting it out of my mind but I couldn't. I taught my classes and everything but it was just so hard to focus sometimes. At moments, I'd completely forget about what I was doing and just worry… and I always thought that Dean was the one that worried too much… what if it wasn't the right time? Dean had just got the job teaching at school and he was getting adjusted to all of this. We were finally figuring out how hard it was to raise two boys… what would happen if we had another baby? And what about the whole angel thing? Would demons go after this baby too?<p>

"Hey, I'm back," Dean said, breaking my thoughts.

"Oh right. You have it?" I asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied, handing me a paper bag.

"Thanks, I guess I'll just uh, go find out then. Do you think you could just… wait outside or something and wait for me to tell you?" I asked.

"Yeah. Mer, is everything okay? Are you… okay?" Dean asked back.

I nodded quickly, "Yeah, I'm fine. I kind of just want to know, you know? Nervous… that's all."

"Yeah, I know," Dean said, taking a deep breath. "Come on. Let's just do it. It'll be like ripping off a band aid and then you'll finally be able to stop worrying. Remember, I'm your husband, Meredith Winchester and you don't fool me. I can tell what's been going on in that pretty little head of yours."

I giggled and smiled at Dean. God he was perfect. He knew how to make me smile and feel better when inside, I was screaming, "Yeah, alright. Let's just do it. Let's just find out."

"Okay," Dean said, as the two of us walked down the hall. I went into one of the teacher's bathrooms and closed the door behind me. I took the test and just set it on a paper towel on the counter and waited for it to go off.

"Oh God," I said to myself, pacing back and forth.

Did Dean even want a baby? I mean, that probably would've been a good thing to ask him before. I could ask him now but, no, I was too close to knowing. Honestly, I wanted another baby. I loved the idea of Dean and I building a family and a life together, especially after he had quit hunting. But for some reason, it felt a lot more complicated than that. Although we had quit hunting, we still had the whole prophecy thing to fret over and two boys to protect. We had just begun training Jude and John wasn't old enough to teach about these things yet. Would another baby even fit into our lives?

The first time I found out about being pregnant with Jude, Dean freaked out but we were different then. The circumstances were different then. I chastised myself for even thinking that Dean would go there again. Dean was an amazing father and had been a father for six years now. We were going to be okay. The second time I found out about being pregnant, Dean was overjoyed… but then again, we were trying to make a baby. We were planning on having another baby. What if this time we-?

Beep. Beep. Beep.

I turned around quickly and scrambled to pick the pregnancy test off of the counter. I stared down at that little plus sign, my eyes wide. Well, now all I had to do was tell Dean and find out if this was even a good thing for the both of us. I opened to the door the bathroom to find Dean leaning up against the wall, and waiting for me. This was really uncomfortable. Students were crowding up the halls, trying to get to their classes while Dean and I were in the midst of this. Talk about the wrong time…

"Well?" he asked, straightening up and turning to look at me.

"I'm pregnant," I said back.

Dean just stared at me for what seemed like hours and I didn't know what to make of that until a wide smile spread across his face.

"You're pregnant?"

"Uh huh. Dean, please say something," I said, swallowing hard.

"No, I mean, Mer, this is-, this is a-," Dean said, trying to collect himself.

"Dean, look, if it's not the right time I get that. You can tell me. Please, just say something because I really need to know if-," I started, but Dean cut me off with a long, passionate, sweet kiss. He continued to kiss before pulling away slowly.

"I'm going to be a dad again. You're pregnant again, Meredith! We're… we're making a family," he smiled.

I sighed with relief, "Oh, I'm so glad that you said that!"

"I'm sorry if I freaked you out earlier. I, I don't know I was just overwhelmed. But this is great. And it's not the wrong time. I teach auto shop. That's not even a real class! I want to do this with you, okay?" Dean said.

"But it was unplanned and-," I started.

"Jude was unplanned," Dean shrugged. "Look how well that turned out. We have an amazing, smart, funny son now. If you don't want this then-."

"No, I do. I do. So much, Dean," I replied.

"Good," Dean smiled, before pulling me into another long kiss. I kissed him back before I realized that people were starting to stare at us. I giggled, pulling away from him. "What?"

"Nothing it's just, people are staring, Dean," I replied.

"So? Let them stare. We're going to be parents again," Dean said.

"You know, you really are superman the way that you know how to calm me down when I'm freaking out and, God, you're such a great dad to John and Jude and I know you'll be an amazing dad to this baby and… God, I love you," I said, swelling with so many emotions of love right now.

Dean shrugged, jokingly, "It helps me get laid." I hit him playfully, rolling my eyes. "I love you too, for the record. You make it easy for me to be superman."

I smiled, "Well, I'm glad that I could help out. Hey, we both need to get going but uh, we'll talk after school, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," Dean replied.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

Dean walked into the garage at the school, feeling on top of the world.

"Alright, class, uh… today, we're going to uh," Dean started, but he couldn't stop thinking about the news today. He was ecstatic. He loved the idea of Meredith being pregnant for the third time. Of course he wanted more kids. He couldn't contain himself. "You know what, I can't go on like this. There's something I should uh-, well, I just found out my wife's pregnant again!"

"Nice, Mr. Winchester," one of the kids yelled out. The other boys in the class whistled and cat called.

"Sorry, I just couldn't not say anything," Dean said.

"You're married to the junior English teacher right? Nice, dude. She's hot," another one of Dean's students said.

"Oh yeah! I have her for English. You ever wonder why we pay attention in that class? I don't blame you, Dean," another student added.

"Alright, that's enough… she is hot, isn't she?" Dean smirked.

"Hell yeah!" another student exclaimed.

Dean laughed to himself. He knew he'd never have to worry about any of these horny high school boys because Meredith would never go there. His Meredith. Dean looked down, laughing a little. He could barely believe that he was going to be a father again. They were really doing this whole apple pie thing. He never thought he'd be able to have it but here he was. He and his wife were having their third child. It really didn't get anymore apple pie than that. Speaking of pie…

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

* * *

><p>I had gone over to Sawyer's the next day to tell her the news. Sam and met Dean over at the park with the kids so that we could tell our siblings individually. Jude and John had also been begging to go to the park lately so we figured that it'd be a good idea to take them to the park anyways. I also knew that Sam and Dean were in for some long overdue brotherbromance bonding time that the two never admitted to actually missing.

"So, how was everything at the doctors?" I asked, curiously.

"Good. Everything looks great. It's still too early to say anything about the gender or anything but I'm done with the first trimester which is exciting," Sawyer said, taking a sip from her mug that was full of tea. Sawyer always loved tea and had made me a cup as well as we sat at the kitchen table.

"That's great," I said back.

"Yeah. But how are you? I hear that Dean is doing really well as a teacher," Sawyer asked.

"Wait, where'd you hear that? I mean, not that he's not… he's amazing but I feel like I've only told you so much," I asked back, curiously.

"Oh, Jamie Moore… she's a senior. She's interning for me over at the office and her boyfriend is in Dean's auto shop class. She asked if I knew him since my last name is Winchester too," Sawyer replied.

"Oh, Jamie! Yeah, I'm not surprised that she's over there with you guys. She was fantastic in English last year," I said.

"Yeah, she's got a good eye," Sawyer replied.

"So how are you and Sam?" I asked, dancing around the subject that I really had come to talk to her about.

"Oh, we're fine. I'm the boring workaholic and Sam has been working that fine ass of his off in his classes. He's over there finishing up some of his credits and working toward getting a license in social work. Who knew? I mean, right now he's really just answering phones and stuff at the social work agency, but I know he'll be out there, helping people in no time. It's Sam and well, we all know how he is," Sawyer chuckled .

"Aw, I knew that Sam would always do some good with that law degree of his. Social work sounds perfect for him. He gets to feed that Mother Teresa complex of his and help people in a way that has nothing to do with hunting," I said.

"I can one hundred percent agree with that. I'm so glad that we're done with all the hunting stuff. It was so hard having Sam leave and then come back and I always worried that something might happen. But now he's home with us and… we're having another baby," Sawyer said, happily.

"Speaking of babies…" I trailed off.

"What?" Sawyer asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, right. Well, I kinda wanted to come over here and-," I started.

"You are not!" Sawyer exclaimed.

I laughed, "You didn't even let me finish yet. But yes, that was what I was going to tell you. Sawyer, we're going to get to be moms together! I-, I just found out yesterday. Long story short: I took a test during lunch and it was positive and… I'm pregnant!"

"Oh my God, Mer! We're going to get to be moms together!" Sawyer squealed.

"I know," I smiled, content.

* * *

><p>"Of course you are!" Ethan laughed as soon as I told him the news. I smiled to myself, watching Dean coax John and Renee back into their seats so that they would stop playing tag around the café.<p>

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked back.

"I'm just sayin', you and Dean are quite… active in that department," Ethan replied, shrugging.

"Molly, help me out here," I said, turning to look at Molly.

"I've got to side with Ethan on this one. You two never really stop… But congrats, babe. That's so exciting! You and Sawyer are going to be moms together. Hey, now I feel like I should get pregnant," Molly joked.

"With my late night shifts at the hospital, I don't think we're ready for that, Molls," Ethan said.

"I was just kidding! We've got enough on our hands with Renee, the company, and the hospital. Don't worry. We're not having another kid for quite some time," Molly replied.

Ethan smiled, "That's why I married you. You just get me."

"You too. Anyways, sorry, Mer. We're turning this into a mush fest. Hey, now you know what it feels like to be around you and Dean all the time. For a man that says no chick flick moments all the time, you two happen to have many of them," Molly teased.

"Shh, don't let him hear you say that," I chuckled.

"I won't. Pinky promise," Molly said back.

"Okay, you want breakfast? Come on. Just come sit back down in the chairs. Let's all take a deep breath and then later you guys can run around and use your outside voices," Dean said, sitting John down in his chair and then picking Renee up and sitting her down to John.

I smiled, "Hi, babe."

"Hi," Dean smiled, leaning in for a kiss.

"Ew, kissing. Gross," John said, shielding his eyes.

"Yeah, gross," Renee repeated. We chuckled.

"Hey, in a few years you're not going to think kissing is gross, kiddo. Just look at your brother! He's six and already, he's got a girlfriend," Dean pointed out.

"Nope. Gross," John said, shaking his head playfully defiant.

I chuckled, "Alright, you two. Hey, Jude, why don't you and Andre come join us?" I asked, as Jude came over to me.

"Okay, but Katarina is going to come soon so can we make room for her?" Jude asked.

"Of course," I replied.

"Hi, Meredith and Dean," Andre smiled.

"Hey, Andre. It's nice to see you again," I said back.

"Yeah, what's up, dude? How you been?" Dean asked, giving Andre a high five.

"You've got yourself the man of the year, over here. No offense, honey," Molly said, looking at Ethan.

"None taken. Dean's going all family man on you. I hope you weren't just attracted to his bad boy side," Ethan teased. Dean and I both laughed.

"Mmm, yeah, Dean, Ethan's got a pretty good point. It's a good thing that I just married you for your good lucks and your great taste in music," I teased.

"Mm, it's a good thing I married you for your good looks and your great ass," Dean smirked.

I rolled my eyes playfully and laughed, "Not in front of the kids, Dean."

"Sorry, babe. Oh, and don't worry, Ethan. I've still got the bad boy thing going on in other regards," Dean winked.

"Oh… here they go. Thanks, Ethan," Molly said, playfully sarcastic.

Ethan shrugged, "I'm just picking on, Meredith. You've been like my little sister since… day one."

"Yeah, I have," I smiled, chuckling a little to myself. Dean looked over at me, holding the hand that was in my lap. I gave his hand a tight squeeze and with my other hand, lightly touched my stomach… we were really having another baby!

* * *

><p>AN: Okay, I know it's been all about babies lately and sorry if that's been a little aggravating. I just had to write it because of a certain set of cousins that had to be born in order for the whole frame tale of this story to work… I mean, it's not like I'm giving anything away ;)

**HAPPY 50th CHAPTER!**


	51. Happiness

A/N: Please listen to "Happiness" by the Fray while you read this chapter.

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><p>"Hey, how about we do something fun today? We could go bowling if you wanted," I offered up to Jude.<p>

Jude shook his head, "I would, Mama, but I'm supposed to go over to Katarina's house today. Her mom said that I could come over today and Daddy said it was okay. We're just going to have dinner and then maybe watch a movie or something. Her mom invited me over."

"When did your daddy say this exactly?" I asked.

"The other day at playgroup," Jude replied, simply.

"Dean?" I called, from the living room.

"Yeah?" he asked, coming into the room.

"Jude is going over to the Grangers' today?" I asked, curiously.

"OH, yeah! Sorry, babe, I guess I forgot to tell you about that. He asked after playgroup the other day and I told him yes," Dean replied.

"Oh, okay. Well, maybe we'll go bowling next time?" I proposed. "Unless you want to go today John and your brother doesn't mind if we go without him this time."

"I don't mind. You guys should go," Jude said back.

Just then, my cell phone rang. I glanced at it, seeing that it was Molly before answering it, "Hey, what's going on?"

"Not much. Ethan and I were wondering if you wanted to have some time all by yourself with Dean. Renee's been asking for John to come over and you guys could have the evening without your kids and uh, well just with the baby coming and everything, we figured you wouldn't have much time to spend by yourselves soon," Molly asked.

"Um," I glanced over at Dean, giving him a funny look. "Um, yeah sure, if you guys are up to it. That sounds good."

"Great. Just bring him over whenever," Molly replied, before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Dean asked, innocently.

"That was Molly asking if we wanted her and Ethan to watch John for the evening. It… looks like we have the house to ourselves this evening," I replied.

"Huh, what a coincident, right?" Dean asked back.

"Yeah…" I said, shooting him a suspicious look. It was a coincidence that Jude and John both had things to do and Dean just happened to forget to tell me. And the fact that Molly called so spur of the moment. It seemed like a little too much of a coincidence.

Dean and I took John to the Grangers' and took John over to Molly and Ethan's. We began to drive home, before we left Ethan and Molly's, before I said anything to Dean.

"Okay, Dean, what's going on?" I asked.

"What do you mean, what's going on?" Dean asked back, innocently.

"You really can't think that I believe that all of this was a coincidence," I replied, in a playful 'well-duh' kind of tone.

"Meredith, I have no idea what you're talking about," Dean said back, coyly, avoiding my gaze. I just looked at him and wait for him to respond. "Okay, fine. When I knew that Jude would be out this evening, I figured I'd go ahead and ask Molly to take John, but I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you. We're not going to have much time to ourselves once the baby comes and I figured… that I'd do something nice for you tonight."

"Dean, that's really sweet," I smiled.

"I just thought maybe we'd go out or something," he replied.

"I'd like that a lot. We haven't done that in a while," I said, looking over at him in complete admiration. My husband was so sweet and incredible.

"Yeah, I know," Dean said back.

I nodded slowly, "Thank you."

"You're my wife. You don't need to thank me," Dean said back. Dean and I sat there, and I honestly didn't know what to say. He was being so sweet which, not that it wasn't normal, but was kind of surprising. Just then, Dean began to laugh.

"What?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Were you really going to wear that to go bowling?" he asked.

"What's wrong with it?" I asked, self-conscious. I crossed my arms across my chest. I was wearing a crème colored chiffon blouse tucked into my dark blue skinny jeans, belted with a brown, skinny, braided belt, and black heels. I had just come work and it was a Friday evening.

"Your wearing heels," Dean pointed out.

I giggled, "So? I'd have to wear those silly bowling shoes, anyways!"

"Yeah, whatever. I guess I can't complain. You look gorgeous," he complimented.

"Thanks, babe. Are you sure that there's nothing going on? You're incredibly mushy tonight," I pointed out.

He laughed, "Too much?"

"No… maybe… I-, I don't know you're just acting different," I said.

"I'm sure," Dean replied.

"Okay," I replied, only partly convinced. I still had a feeling that there was something else going. Why was he being so out of the blue sweet to me? Not that he wasn't normally sweet to me. It's just that he was being all romantic which kind of freaked me out because he wasn't normally like this!

* * *

><p>Dean and I grabbed an early dinner and then went for a walk along the Sioux Falls River. We had a couple of hours left before we had to pick up Jude, meaning we'd pick up John right afterwards for the night.<p>

"Dean, are you going to tell me what's going on?" I asked.

"What? I can't go out on a date with my wife every once in a while without her thinking that something is going on?" Dean asked back.

"No… it's just… you're being incredibly sweet. I mean, not that you're not normally, but that's just it, Dean. We don't really go out on dates a lot and here we are. And you organized it all and surprised me which I love, but it's very… well, you know, couple-y, which were usually not," I replied, honestly. I was grateful for the surprise and everything, but I needed to know. I was a little perplexed and kind of just wanted to get down to the bottom of this.

"Look, we're going to have another baby soon and that's three kids. That's a lot of work, Mer. I just-, you're always taking care of everybody else and I just wanted to take care of you for a night. I know it's all mushy and chick flick-y believe me. But I thought you deserved someone doing something nice for you and thought we'd have a little fun tonight. I knew you were all excited about bowling and everything, but I figured that we'd have a little fun, just you and me, before it became you, me, Jude, John, and other child," Dean replied.

I smiled, "Dean, you're too good to me." I pulled him into my arms, wrapping my arms around his waist. I shook my head. "What did I do to deserve you?"

"Mer-," Dean started, looking away.

"No, Dean. I really did luck out with you. You're… amazing. You're handsome, and funny… incredibly sexy, you always know what to say when I'm upset, you're a great father to John and Jude, and I know you'll be a great father to this baby. You're also great in bed…."

He smirked, "You just said I was great in bed."

I giggled, "Yeah, I did. Just don't let it get to your head, Mr. Hah, I love that out of all of the things that I just said, the only one you care about is that you're great in bed. You know, Bobby was right. You're a piece of work. He was also right about another thing. You're all mine." I kissed pulled Dean in for a long, loving kiss.

"Babe, chick flick moment," Dean reminded.

"You started it," I teased.

Dean laughed a little, "I still miss him a lot."

"Me too," I replied. I felt Dean's fingers intertwine with mine as we continued to walk.

"Sometimes I think he's watching over us. My mom always used to say that angels were watching over us. Looking at our track record with angels, I'd much rather have Bobby watching over us," Dean said.

"Yeah, I agree. Speaking of angels, do you really think that they are watching over the boys?" I asked, bringing up the touchy subject.

"They haven't fallen through so far, except for Cas. God, I hope they don't. It sucks, you know? I wished we could've just raised our kids with them not even knowing what we used to do, but they have to get dragged into it as well," Dean sighed.

"I'm sorry, babe. I know you would've wanted to raise them unaware… but don't you also think that it might be a good idea for them not to be in the dark. I think that if they were to face something supernatural without any kind of knowledge, then we wouldn't forgive ourselves if something happened to any of them," I replied. Dean gave me a small looked and I gave his hand a tight squeeze, seeing the struggle that he was having with all of this. "Sorry, just trying to see the positive side of things here. Believe me. I wish they never have to face anything supernatural, but as of now, it looks like we have to prepare them, just in case."

"I know. It's just not fair," Dean said.

"I know it's not fair but it's not like we're taking them on the road or taking them out of school. They have a safe home to live in, with a pretty kick ass dad," I said back, trying to lighten up the mood.

"You forgot their very sexy mom," Dean smirked.

I giggled, rolling my eyes playfully, "See? There's that smile I know and love. Come on. Tonight, according to you, is supposed to be about having fun just the two of us and this conversation is obviously not a fun one. Let's… do something fun."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Dean asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I giggled, "I sure hope so. Come on. Let's get back to the car. No, we're not doing it in your car. We could at least just wait to get back to the house."

"Aw, man!" Dean whined.

"I won't keep you waiting that long," I winked, taking Dean's hand as we hurried back to the car.

LINEBREAK

I giggled as Dean began to leave kisses on my neck, my shoulders, and finally my back, going lower and lowering, his head beginning to disappear under the sheets.

"No," I groaned.

"What?" Dean asked, coming back up to see me. I rolled over on my back and looked over at him.

"You can't really want to have sex again," I said, as if he were crazy.

Dean shrugged, "I could fuck you all night." Dean leaned over me, kissing my neck and trying to inch the sheet away from my naked body. "With this gorgeous body… and the way you say my name. You can't blame a guy, can you?" I laughed a little, pushing him away from me playfully.

"Dean, we just finished like… two minutes ago," I pointed out.

"I'm resilient," Dean replied.

I laughed, "Of course you are, Dean. No. Not now. Besides, we're going to have to pick up the kids in like ten minutes."

"I can do ten minutes," he smirked.

I shook my head, laughing, "You know, Ethan was right. No wonder I'm pregnant. We do it all the time."

"And there is nothing wrong with that," Dean added, a goofy look on his face.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you," he said back, as we shared a long glance.

"Do you think it's a boy this time?" I asked.

"What?" Dean asked back, confused.

"The baby," I clarified.

"I'm not getting laid, am I?" Dean asked, sighing as he lay back on the bed.

I laughed, "You already got laid, like three times in the past hour and a half. You are so whiny!" I teased.

"Alright, alright," Dean said, letting out a deep, hearty laugh.

"Well?" I asked, going back to my original question.

"I don't know. We've had two boys already and I honestly think that's enough I can handle. I'm all for us having the little girl you always wanted," Dean said.

I smiled, "I'd like that too. Although, let me remind you that I honestly did want a boy our first go round."

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied. "I just-, I look at Renee and sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a girl. Then again, I wonder what it'd be like for Renee to grow up in a household of older brothers. If there anything like you and Sam…"

"What? Sam and I were great!" Dean exclaimed, playfully.

"I know you were, baby. But it's different from having a sister," I pointed out.

"I wouldn't know. I've never had one. Well, if Sawyer counts," Dean started.

"Exactly! God, I remember when Sawyer came into our lives. That was the shocker of the century," I chuckled.

"Oh, you were so pissed. I mean, not at her, at your dad but you were so upset. You stormed out of the Falcon and we drove for about an hour before you cooled down," Dean reminisced with me.

"And then the next day my dad got super pissed because you and I shared a room. He thought something must've happened… which it did, but you know," I giggled, thinking about Dean and I's first time together. I had been so nervous before. It was the buildup. But the minute I was there, I knew that I had nothing to worry about. Dean loved me then and he did now. I had nothing to be nervous about.

"You want to know something really awkward? My dad gave me the talk that day. He somehow knew…" Dean said.

"Awkward for you? What was really awkward was when your dad gave me the talk. That was so uncomfortable and he kept asking if we were safe. He said he was cool with it but hey, your boyfriend's dad giving you the talk is just not a comfortable thing," I said back.

"He cared about you a lot, you know? I think sometimes he was able to show that he cared about you better than he could show us," Dean started.

I shook my head, "Dean, your dad loved you and Sam a lot."

"I know," Dean said back.

"You know, we really do get better at this every time we do this," I said, kissing Dean once, in order to cheer him up a little bit.

"Oh yeah? Well, I guess it's a good thing I married a woman that was great in bed," Dean smirked.

"You just said I was great in bed," I pointed out, teasing him.

"Oh, haha, you're hilarious," Dean said sarcastically. The two of us shared a small laughed before I leaned in, kissing him again. Dean slipped his hand around my waist, resting it on the small of my back, and pushing my body against his. He rolled us over so that he was on his back and I was on top of him. Oh, Dean. I knew where this was going.

Just then, my cell phone alarm went off.

"Damn it. We should probably go pick up Jude," I said, reluctantly pulling away.

"I guess so," Dean groaned. "I hope his date went as well as ours did. You know, for a six year old's date."

"Yeah, he is not allowed to do this until he's like fifty," I said, laughing at my over exaggeration.

Dean laughed too: "That's a little hypocritical, don't you think? Our first time was at sixteen." Dean teased.

"Okay, we are not having this conversation until it even gets to that point. I don't even want to think about Jude reaching that age yet. He's six, is reading, and has a girlfriend. That's scary enough," I said.

"Kid's growing up too fast, huh?" Dean asked.

"Yes," I chuckled.


	52. Baby Checkups and the Best Day Ever

Author's Note: Warning. Somewhat mature beginning. Also, some time jumping at the end. Don't worry, it's only a couple of months AND it's the good kind, worth it kind, of time jumping ;). You'll see.

LAME. Superantural is not on tonight so I shall post lots of things for you :)

* * *

><p>There were clothes all over the floor and the bed was a mess but neither Dean nor I cared. We were too caught up in each other, tangled in each other as we had our, beginning to be normal routine morning sex. Ever since the morning sickness had stopped, my pregnancy hormones had been going crazy and Dean and I had been having so much sex.<p>

"Dean. Oh God… yes, yes… oh my God!" I moaned, digging my nails into his back as I came.

"Mer, shit. Oh fuck!" he yelled out, coming with me. Dean and I rode out our orgasm before coming down from our high and collapsing on the bed.

"Damn, so good. You know, ever since you got pregnant, I think we've been doing it even more often than we had been," Dean sighed, happily.

I giggled, "Mhm." I leaned over towards him and began to kiss his neck, then his shoulders, kissing down his chest.

"Oh God… you're going to be the death of me… but what a good way to go, right?" Dean asked. I looked up at him, my lips curling into a smile against his very toned abdomen as I went back up to him, kissing his lips and laying my body on top of his. God, what was wrong with me? These pregnancy hormones had basically turned me into Dean when it came to sex. "I'm not complaining or anything. I'm glad that you're morning sickness is going away and… well that this is replacing it."

I giggled, "Of course you do."

Dean smiled, "As much as I'd like to stay in bed with you all day, we should probably get ready for our doctor's appointment soon."

I sighed, cupping his face and rubbing his cheek with my thumb, "You're right, we should." I smiled down at my gorgeous husband. "You should go shower though."

"Yeah, I should. Hey, are you just trying to get me out of here, just in time for the mailman?" Dean asked, playfully suspicious.

I giggled, "Of course, baby. I'm going for a round two with the mail man." I teased.

"Not funny," Dean said, getting out of bed and walking to our bathroom. I bit my lips, watching as he walked. He was in great shape… and looked amazing naked. I tilted my head.

"Babe, the mail doesn't even come until the afternoon. Go take your shower, silly," I teased.

"You comin' or what?" Dean asked, turning to look at me.

"Full frontal. Huh. That works for you," I smirked. "You bet your great ass I am, Mr. Mailman."

Dean chuckled, "I'll see you in there, baby."

"Okay," I said back. I hear the water going on and the door to the shower open. I just lay there, listening to the water for a while. My body was humming and had this whole warm, tingly feeling in my stomach. I was so happy for once. I wasn't worrying about anything and Dean and I were having any major issues. It was truly amazing how hunting always influenced our relationship but now that we weren't doing that anymore, things were good. I got out of bed. I was barely showing but there was the tiniest bit of a baby bump already that was pretty exciting. I slipped into the shower with Dean, ninja-ing my way in there. I wrapped my arms stealthily around Dean's waist, causing him to jump. He turned around, looking at me in shock.

"Damn it, Mer! You just scared the shit out of me!" Dean exclaimed. A smile broke across his face and he just shook his head a little.

"Well, you should've seen me coming," I teased.

"Oh, I've seen you come," Dean smirked.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, giggling a little. "I uh, I actually came in here to thank you for this morning because what you did back in there… was incredible."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Mm mm," I said, trying to shush him. I then just crashed my lips against Dean's in a passionate, lustful kiss. I then began to kiss along his sculpted jaw line, his neck, his chest, and then farther down…

"Oh shit," Dean swore, bracing himself against the walls of our shower.

* * *

><p>"Mama, these pancakes are delicious. Thank you," Jude said, as he began to eat his pancakes. I was still making the pancakes while Dean was outside, getting the paper for me. Jude sat at the table eating his pancakes as well. I turned around to look at them.<p>

"Oh no! John, don't use your hands. Use your fork to eat your pancakes, sweetie," I said. He looked up at me before huffing and then wiping his hands off with the napkin. He took up his fork, gripping it tightly, and stabbing his pancakes with his fork.

"Thank you," I said.

"Good morning, everyone. It smells great in here," Dean said.

"Mama made pancakes. Daddy, come sit with us and then Mama can join us when we're done," Jude said.

"I will in a minute," Dean said, before coming over to me. "Hi."

"Hi," I said, kissing Dean once.

"How are you and the little guy/girl?" Dean asked.

"We're fine, especially after this morning," I replied, saying the last part in Dean's ear. Dean smirked.

"Mommy, come sit!" Jude encouraged.

"Yeah, Mommy," John added. Dean and I looked from our kids back to each other before exchanging a small laugh.

"Well, I'm glad that I could help, Mommy this morning," Dean said, in my ear, sending chills down my spine.

"Dean, the pancakes are going to burn" I giggled, shrugging him off of me so that I could finish up breakfast.

"Do you need help with anything?" Dean asked.

"No, go ahead and sit with the boys," I replied.

"Alright," Dean said back, before heading over to the kitchen table. "So, how are you guys this morning?"

"Good. How about you, Dad?" Jude asked.

"I'm great. I had an… athletic morning," Dean replied, provoking me.

"Dean!" I warned.

"Did you go running or play sports or something?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," Dean answered.

I rolled my eyes at Dean for mentioning that. I turned off the stove and went over to the kitchen table with the rest of the pancakes.

"Eat up. I hope you guys don't mind that you're going over to your Uncle Sammy's today," Dean started.

"Uncle Sammy!" John exclaimed, happily, a small smile lighting up his face.

"Yeah. Your mom and I have to go for a doctor's appointment," Dean continued.

"Oh no! Mama hurt?" John asked.

"No, your father and I are both fine. It's about the baby. The baby is fine but when you're about to have a baby, you have to go to the doctor's every month, just to make sure that everything is okay. It's just a check up," I reassured.

"Phew! Good. I don't want anything to happen to you guys," Jude said.

"Me too!" John exclaimed with such conviction that it was adorably cute.

We all finished up our breakfast before Dean and I dropped the boys off at Sawyer and Sam's and went to the doctor's. Now, we were waiting in the waiting room until the doctor was ready to see us. We had been going to Dr. Sinclair ever since I was pregnant with Jude, so we knew that we were in good hands.

"I can't believe Sawyer's having a girl," Dean said.

I nodded, "I know. It's great. Sam said they found out a couple of days ago at their appointment."

"I can't believe you and Sawyer are going to be moms together. That's actually pretty cool. John will have Renee and Sawyer and Sam's little girl will have our baby to go to school with," Dean replied.

"Yeah, it is pretty cool," I said.

"Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, Dr. Sinclair will see you now," the nurse said.

"Thanks," I said back. "You ready?"

"Aren't I always?" Dean asked back. I nodded as Dean and I walked back with the nurse to the empty room that had all of the ultrasounds set up and everything. Dr. Sinclair was waiting in there, just taking a couple of notes on chart before closing it up and looking for ours.

"Hi. It's good to see you two again," Dr. Sinclair smiled, seeing Dean and I.

"Thanks, you too," I said.

"Go ahead and have seat, Dean. Meredith, why don't you hop up here for me?" Dr. Sinclair asked. I got on the medical chair thing and laid back. "Alright, has everything been normal? You should be getting over some of the morning sickness by now."

"Yeah, I am, actually. It's great. Yeah, everything seems to be normal so far. Nothing wrong that I could tell you though. I'm showing a little sooner than I thought I'd be… comparatively to my last two pregnancies," I said.

"Oh, that's normal. You've been pregnant twice already so your body has adjusted," Dr. Sinclair replied, with a warm tone in her voice.

"Yeah, the morning sickness has gone away and uh… we're definitely enjoying the perks of that," Dean smirked.

Dr. Sinclair chuckled, taking Dean's hint, "Yes, during the pregnancy, it's quite typical that a woman's libido goes up. Alright, let's take a look at this baby. As you know, Meredith, the ultrasound gel can be a little cold sometimes." Dr. Sinclair spread the ultrasound gel over my belly, searching for the baby. She smiled, as soon as she got a clear picture. "Hm… he or she seems to be in a little bit of a strange place in the womb but it's fine."

"What do you mean?" I asked, worriedly.

"Is that a bad thing?" Dean asked.

"No. Nothing to worry over at all! The baby just looks like he or she has shifted over towards the side of the womb instead of the center. I'm sure that by an hour or so, he or she will be in a different position. Just an observations. Hm… alright, well everything looks great. Do you have any questions for me?" Dr. Sinclair asked.

"Nope, I don't think so. What about you, Dean?" I asked, looking over at Dean.

"Nope," Dean replied.

"Well, the baby's looking great so far," Dr. Sinclair said. I was glad that everything was already but her comment about the baby being in a strange position in the womb. I guess he or she was just moving around in there…

* * *

><p><strong>January 31, 2015<strong>

Dean and I were back at the doctor's for our appointment for the baby's fifth month check up. Dean was really psyched because we knew that this was usually when we got to know the sex of our baby. Dean was ecstatic. I think the man may be even more ecstatic than I was. I was enduring yet another ultrasound and we were just looking at the baby.

"Woah, that's awesome! Can we do that again? Babe… I mean… we got to see our baby's face!" Dean exclaimed.

I giggled as Dean held my hand, "It's pretty awesome."

"I can try. He's being stubborn so let me see if I can find it again," Dr. Sinclair said.

"He?" Dean asked, hopeful.

"He or she," the doctor corrected herself with a slight chuckle.

"Are you sure because I'm pretty sure that I saw a penis a second ago," Dean said, moving closer to the ultrasound monitor to get a better look. He leaned in and peered at the screen.

"If you can't tell already, doctor. Dean wants to have another boy. As if two wasn't enough!" I exclaimed, jokingly. I loved having boys and I would love this baby whether it was a boy or girl but having a girl would be nice.

"Oh that's not true. Babe, you know I'd be happy if it was a girl too," Dean said, kissing my forehead but then returning to the monitor. "Oh yeah. Right there. That's definitely a penis." I continued to laugh at Dean's persistent insistence that he saw a penis.

"Baby, I've never seen you this excited about seeing a penis," I teased.

"It's our baby that could very well be a boy!" Dean replied. I laughed and Dean just bit his lip shaking his head at me. He smiled but then returned his attention to the sonogram monitor, searching for an answer. It was so funny to watch Dean squirm. He was so curious about the baby but that just made him such a great father.

"Actually, that's a thumb," Dr. Sinclair said.

"Oh," Dean said, retreating from his sure standpoint.

"Babe, we'll find out in a second after we see its face again," I reassured.

"Well… it's a very big thumb," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest. I giggled and bit my lip, smiling at my husband. This would be our third kid. How the hell were we lucky enough to have three kids together? "Okay right there. Penis." I snorted with laughter as Dean declared the sex of our baby.

"As you can see, Dean is really excited about this. We know that usually at the five month check we find out the sex of the baby and… this one's a little restless," I chuckled.

"Nope, that's a foot," Dr. Sinclair chuckled.

"Really?" Dean asked, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his head to the side. He looked so confused. It was adorable. Dean scratched the back of his head and squinted at the ultrasound screen.

"Yeah," Dr. Sinclair replied, continuing to search for the face again. I shivered a little. Ultrasounds were always cold and tickled a little.

"Dean, I don't think our baby's penis will be that big right now! He's only five months along. If it's a he," I said, trying to reason with Dean.

"Yet. If he takes after his old man… well, you would know about that, wouldn't you?" Dean smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. I hit him playfully.

"Alright, you two. That's what got us here in the first place, remember? So none of that," Dr. Sinclair joked, laughing at Dean and I's playful, flirty, banter. I chuckled and Dean furrowed his brow as he looked at the monitor intently. Had he noticed something that I hadn't?

"Wait, doc, now I've never been very good at math but… it seems like that's the third foot we've seen today," Dean started.

I shot him a confused look, "Wait a second, now that I think of it, I think you're right, Dean."

"See? I can be right sometimes," Dean said, crossing his arms over his chest.

I giggled, "I know, babe."

"Yes, and this would be the fourth," the doctor smiled, pointing to another foot on the monitor. I gasped. Oh my God. She wasn't… we weren't… oh my God. But how…?

"Four feet? Uh… so we're having an alien?" Dean asked, clueless.

The doctor chuckled, "And right there… listen to that. I seem to be getting two heartbeats as well. It wasn't as clear earlier because they were pretty in sync but they're differing now."

"Well, that's normal right? Meredith's and the baby's. The only thing that's not normal is that the fact that our baby has four feet!" Dean asked.

I squeezed his hand, interrupting him: "No, Dean, I think what the doctor is trying to tell us is that we're having twins." I looked over at the doctor and she nodded her head and smiled.

"Congratulations, you two," she said.

"Oh my God!" Dean exclaimed. "We're having twins?"

I nodded, "Yeah, we're having twins!"

"Oh, Mer, this is amazing…" Dean grinned widely. He grabbed my face in his hands and kissed me passionately. "We're having twins, baby."

"I know," I said, happier than ever. There were a couple of tears in my eyes that I was hoping wouldn't actually run down my face. But it was okay because they were happy tears.

"Well, do we get to know the sex?" Dean asked.

"Sure…" the doctor replied. She searched around on the monitor again before coming to a stopping point. She smiled, happily. "Ah, this is my favorite. It looks like you two are having one of each: a boy and a girl. I guess the two of you will both be satisfied about the sex of your babies." We were having twins. This was so surreal and so unbelievably great!

"Wait, but how come you guys never saw this earlier? I mean, you should be able to see two babies right?" Dean asked.

"Not really. You're babies heartbeats have been so in sync during their checkups in the past and we couldn't get a clear picture on both of them. That's why during your three month check up I mentioned your baby towards the side in the womb. I suspected it because it looked like the baby was positioned in a way to make room for another baby. I looked, but the picture wasn't clear yet and I didn't want to get your hopes up. That would also explain why you started showing a little earlier, Meredith," Dr. Sinclair informed.

"Yeah… wow…" I said, staring at our babies on the monitor. We were having twins!

"Best day ever, huh?" Dean asked, pulling me from my thoughts. I nodded at him and smiled up at him. We had been married for seven years now and yet Dean still took my breath away. It just felt like everything was falling into place. Dean and Sam done with hunting for now and we were going to have twins. Sooner or later we'd probably have to go back into it and we'd have to train, John, Jude, and these two new babies when they grew up, but as of now, I wasn't thinking about any of that. Our house and the boys were cloaked. For now, we were demon free and Dean and I were building the family that we had always dreamed of.

"Yeah, best day ever," I agreed, grinning from ear to ear. And the way Dean looked at me just made my heart soar.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>FINALLY! Now I can post the beginning of the spin off! This was where I needed to go in order to not spoil any HUGE surprises that I had (like Meredith and Dean having twins).


	53. Pinky Promises

I was on my way home, the windows rolled down. It was a surprisingly warm day for March in South Dakota, and it was nice. Sawyer had just had her baby and she and Sam were getting adjusted in their home. I was happy for the both of them. They were looking for houses because they knew it was time, since they had a second kid. There wasn't enough room for a growing family.

I smiled as a good song came on the radio. I turned it up and just enjoyed the breeze as I drove. I stopped at the stop sign, and then looked both ways before going. It was a four way stop and it looked like the coast was clear. I drove the stop sign as I was driving, I realized that the CD case that I kept in my car had fallen down on the floor.

"Oh no," I said. I looked and was halfway through the intersection. No one was coming. I reached for it and when I came back up, my eyes widened as soon as I saw a big, black escalade driving right towards me, about to hit the side of my car.

_Crash._

**~3****rd**** person POV~**

"Sam, I know, we'll be over there as soon as possible. No, we're just waiting for Meredith to get home. Yeah, she went out. Look, Sam I've got another phone call. I'll call you when we're leaving," Dean said to his brother over the phone. He knew that Sam and Sawyer were having some trouble balancing the whole two kid thing right now, but Sam didn't have to call every ten minutes! They were going to leave in no time.

They had named their little girl, Haley. She was beautiful. They took her home from the hospital a couple of days ago and Dean, Meredith, John, and Jude were going to go over there say hi, and help out with whatever needed to be done. Dean wanted to be there for his little brother, especially because he had already gone through the sleepless night, two children, one screaming baby thing before. Dean smiled to himself. They were going to have their own little girl soon. Dean, honestly, couldn't wait…

"Hello?" Dean asked, answering the phone.

"Hi, I'm calling for Dean Winchester," the voice said over the phone.

"Yeah, who is this?" Dean asked back.

"This is Robert Fitz. I'm a doctor over at Sioux Falls General Hospital. Your wife was in a car accident, sir. She's alright. Just a couple of scratches but I think that you should come over here. The car had its fair share of damage as well so you should come pick your wife up," the man replied.

"Is she okay? What about the babies?" Dean asked, panicking.

"All of them are fine. You have nothing to worry about, Mr. Winchester," Dr. Fitz replied.

"Yeah, alright. Thanks, bye," Dean said, before hanging up the phone. "Nothing to worry about, my ass." Dean would go on worrying about he saw his wife and saw for himself that she and the babies were alright. "Boys, change of plans. We've got to go to the hospital."

"Why?" Jude asked, a glint of fear flashing across his eyes.

"I don't want you to worry, but your mom got in a car accident. The doctor says that she's fine but we should go over there anyways," Dean replied.

"Mama hurt?" John asked.

"Yeah," Dean said back, nodding slowly.

"I'll bring band aids for Mama," John declared.

"Alright, kiddo. Come on. We have to hurry though. Let's get to the car. I'll call Uncle Sammy from there," Dean said, hurrying his kids into the car. He was so worried. What the hell had happened? Was it a bad accident? The doctor said that everyone was okay but it didn't stop Dean from worrying. He was so afraid of losing his family. This couldn't be the day that he did.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Everything looks fine. Your babies don't even look affected by the accident at all," Dr. Sinclair said. They had paged her down from the OBGYN unit and had her come up to do an ultrasound, just to make sure that everything was fine. And everything was! I wasn't hurt, the other driver wasn't hurt, and neither were the babies.

"Meredith, oh my God, are you alright?" I heard a voice say. I turned towards the door to see Dean

"Yeah, Dean, I'm fine," I said, smiling as soon as I saw him.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked.

"It was nothing. I was going through a stop sign, after I stopped of course, and got t-boned by someone running the stop sign but no one was hurt. My car was… but other than that, everyone is okay. The babies are okay. You have nothing to worry about," I reassured him.

"Really?" Dean asked.

"Yes," I chuckled.

"Everything is fine, Dean. Go take your wife home. She needs to be on bed rest though, for the next couple of days," Dr. Fitz said, stepping into the room.

"Bed rest. Okay. Well, so much for going over to Sam's then," Dean said.

"Oh no!" I exclaimed. "I totally forgot about all of that. We were supposed to go over and help them…"

"Mer, they'll understand. You're now on bed rest. Doctor's orders," Dean reminded.

"Yeah, I know. I feel bad though," I pouted.

"Mama!" I heard voices exclaimed. I looked over towards the door and John and Jude were sprinting towards me. The both of them came to my bed side, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"Mama okay?" John asked.

"Yeah, of course. I'm fine. Everyone is fine. Your brother and sister have gone unaffected. No one got hurt, baby," I reassured.

"We worried about you and our brother and sister," Jude said.

"I know, but you don't need to be worried at all anymore. Everyone's fine," I said in a soothing voice.

"Don't. You just got in a car accident… do I even want to see the damage done to the car?" Dean asked.

"I don't know. Probably not. Apparently it wasn't in great shape when they towed it," I replied.

"That's not a comforting though… I'll pick it up today. See if I can do anything about it. I guess I'll take it over to the garage later. Fix it up myself," Dean mumbled.

"Dad, can I come too? I want to help with Mom's car," Jude asked.

"Sure," Dean nodded.

"I think we're done here. We've established that I'm fine. Can we please just go home?" I begged, tired and not in the mood to be in a hospital at the moment.

"Alright, let's get you out of here," Dean said.

"Okay," I said.

We were on our way out of the hospital when someone approached us, "I'm so sorry ma'am. That stop sign was really hidden. I'm so sorry for hitting you. I'm glad that everything is okay though."

"Wait, is this the guy?" Dean asked, tensing up. Before I could even answer, Dean had the guy pinned up against a wall. "What the hell were you thinking? Pay attention to the road next time! You had a stop sign! My wife is pregnant. You know, you could've ended three lives today. You better feel damn lucky that everyone's alright."

"Dean!" I yelled. "Dean, stop it." I got out of the wheel chair that they had forced me into. I pulled Dean off of the guy before Dean could start throwing any punches. "I'm so sorry. Um, you're fine. I get that those things happen and the important thing is that everyone is okay."

"Thank you. I truly am sorry," the man said, before walking away.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I asked Dean.

"I-," Dean started.

"No! Accidents happen. Everyone's fine, Dean. I get that you're mad but, can we just go home, please?" I asked, cutting him off.

Dean took a moment to collect himself before saying, "Yeah okay. Let's just get you home. Hey, you're supposed to be on bed rest!"

"I think I can walk myself to our car," I replied, firmly.

Jude was holding my hand on one side of me with John on the other side of me, holding my other hand. I could tell that this had freaked out the boys and I really wanted to make sure that they knew that I was fine. Then again, being on bed rest was not going to help very much. Ugh, and after seeing what Dean did back there, I knew that Dean was going to be the bed rest nazi for the rest of the time that I was supposed to be on bed rest. I knew that it was because he cared and I loved him for that, but God that man was stubborn sometimes.

* * *

><p>"What're you doing up?" Dean asked.<p>

I looked over at him, shooting him a funny look before saying, "I'm getting a book. What does it look like I'm doing, Dean?"

"Meredith," Dean warned.

"Dean, I'm seven months pregnant. I'm not an invalid," I reminded.

"Yeah, and you're supposed to be on bed rest," Dean said back.

"Yeah, the doctor said for a few days, which implies about three. It's been four days. I think that I can walk from our bed to our bookshelf, babe," I said. I loved Dean, but he was really driving me up the wall. I had been barely out of room ever since we got home from the hospital and he was being so stubborn about the whole bed rest thing.

"Okay, well what about Victoria and… Chris? Don't you think they want you on bed rest too?" Dean asked.

"Chris?" I asked, turning around from my bookshelf to look at Dean.

"Just trying out some names," Dean shrugged.

"I see," I said.

"Babe, we were lucky enough that you, Victoria and… Kyle are okay," Dean said.

I laughed, "I'm sorry. I really can't take you seriously while you spout baby names out at me."

"We haven't picked out a name for our son," Dean said.

"Since when did you become the girl in this relationship?" I teased, light heartedly, just trying to lighten up the mood or at least get Dean to smile.

"Mer, this isn't funny," Dean groaned.

"Dean, if you do not let me out of this room, I may actually have to kick your ass," I warned.

"Meredith, please just get back in bed," Dean pleaded.

"Okay, you know what? Fine," I said, letting him win this time. I was not in the mood to pick a fight with Dean. He was just being so uptight, which, I guess I couldn't blame him, but still. It was causing more, unneeded stress for me. What did he expect me to do? Just sit around all day and smile and nod and say "yes, Dear"? No. He knew me well enough to know that that wasn't me.

"I hope bed rest doesn't mean no visitors," I heard a voice say. Just then, Sawyer and Sam appeared in the door way, peeking their heads into the room.

"Visitors are definitely allowed," I chuckled, smiling. Sawyer was holding her baby girl in her arms. "Hello there, beautiful, baby girl. Look at your mommy. She's got that whole new mommy glow thing going on. You are just so precious."

"I figured I'd come bring Haley by while you were on bed rest," Sawyer said, sitting down on the bed and handing me the tiny baby so that I could hold her. I cradled Haley in my arms, looking down at her. "Yeah. That's your Aunt Meredith. Thanks to her you're going to have lots and lots of cousins. You're even going to have cousins your own age. She's got that whole pregnant lady glow going on, doesn't she? We like her."

I giggled.

"Hey, man, I've got to go check on Cole. I left him with John and Jude so who knows what kind of trouble they're getting into," Sam started.

"Okay," Dean said.

"No, come on. You've got to get out of this room and I know you get your kicks from worrying so if you come with me, you've got two sons and a nephew to worry about. Come on, Dean. Let's just leave this two alone," Sam coaxed.

"Fine," Dean sighed, before following Sam out of the room.

"You okay?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah… it just feels like I'm on house arrest. I love Dean, I do, and I think it's really sweet that he cares so much but he's going to drive me up wall. I mean, he's just so stubborn and won't let up on the whole bed rest thing even though I'm pretty much done with my bed rest. I just want to tell him to stop worrying but we all know that that's never going to happen," I explained.

"Mer, I think that car accident really scared him," Sawyer started.

"You think?" I asked.

"Yeah, I do," Sawyer replied. "You're his family. He's afraid of losing you."

I took a deep breath, "Let's not talk about it please. If I'm not allowed out of this house, you can at least distract me. How's this beautifully baby? You're so precious, aren't you? You are just so beautiful." The baby looked up at me through her hazel eyes.

"She likes you," Sawyer smiled.

"By the way, I do want to come over and help out whenever I'm done with my bed rest sentence. Things are kinda crazy back at home, huh?" I asked.

"Two kids are so much… I mean, we knew that but we forgot how much work a new baby is. I don't think I get sleep anymore, but you know, I've learned how to survive primarily without tons of sleep," Sawyer replied.

I nodded, "I completely understand. You'll get through it though and just think about the first night that she finally sleeps all the way through."

"Mmm, that's sounds like such a good idea right now," Sawyer smiled.

"Oh, yes, I know," I replied.

Sawyer and I talked for a little while longer before it was about Cole's nap time and they decided to go home. Dean had put John down for a nap and Jude was doing some spelling homework in his room. I, as always, was in bed. This time, I had a book, so it wasn't half as bad as it had been earlier, when I just had cross word puzzles.

"Hi," Dean said. I looked up from my book and saw him standing in the doorway, leaning up against the door frame. He looked really sexy right now…

"Hi," I said back.

"Can I come in?" He asked.

"Sure," I replied. "It's your room too, Dean."

"Yeah, I know," he chuckled, get in bed next to me. "I uh, figured I'd make bed rest easy for you." I shot him a funny look but Dean just took the book out of my hands, placing on the bed beside us. Dean leaned in, kissing me slowly and deeply. On his right hand, he balanced himself so that he wouldn't crush me and with is left hand, he moved it over my very pregnant belly.

"So that's what you were going for," I giggled, in between kisses.

"Mer, I'm sorry," Dean said.

"Sorry for what?" I asked, puzzled.

"Meredith, that car accident really freaked me out. I-, the doctor said you were okay and you said that you were okay, but for some reason, I didn't believe it until I saw you. But when they called me and told me that something happened, Mer, how was I supposed to take that? That there was even the slightest chance that something could've happened to you, it scared the hell out of me, Meredith. You're my family and I love you and… and there's too much to lose now," Dean said. "So, I know I've been an ass…"

"No, Dean, you haven't been, okay you kind of have been but I understand where it was coming from. I get it, I do. It's just… I'm really okay, Dean. You can let me have some amount of free range. You can't keep me in bed forever," I said.

"Who says?" Dean smirked.

I giggled and shook my head, "I know… it's a pretty scary world out there but you're not going to be able to protect me from it all. Dean, I'm a big girl. I can take care for myself. I'm technically off bed rest and you know, walking from our room, around the house is not going to kill me."

"I know you can but can you blame me for wanting to?" Dean asked.

"No. I think it's sweet, actually," I smiled.

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Annoying, but sweet," I replied.

"You're having my babies, Meredith Winchester. I've got to be somewhat over protective of you," Dean said, leaning down to kiss my pregnant belly once. I giggled.

"Yeah, I am," I smiled.

"It's crazy to think that Sam and Sawyer are having trouble with two children. To think it'll be you, me, Jude, John, Victoria and… Thomas," Dean started.

"Ooh, no. Not Thomas. This baby is definitely not a Thomas. Not that there's anything wrong with Thomas," I said back.

"Hm… Victoria and Connor?" Dean proposed. I shrugged. "Dean Jr.?"

I laughed, "I don't think so, baby."

"Jack… Evan… Flynn… Connor?" Dean asked.

"Flynn," I said.

"Flynn?" Dean asked.

I nodded, "Flynn…. Yeah, I like Flynn."

Dean leaned in and kissed me once before pulling away and saying, "Hey, I still haven't had lunch and I'm starving. What do you say to some grilled cheese?"

"That sounds lovely," I said back.

"Alright," Dean said, getting off the bed and beginning to walk out. I picked up my book and tried to find the place that I stopped. Dean stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me. "Well, are you coming or what?"

A wide grin spread across my face, "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>~3<strong>**rd**** Person POV~**

Dean was working on the car as Jude sat on the counter in the auto shop. Dean had sat Jude on the counter with a scrap book of Meredith's so that they he wouldn't be in the way of the super heavy stuff and that way, not at risk for injury.

"Son, can you hand me the smaller wrench? Yeah, that one," Dean asked.

Jude scanned the tools that were laid out on the ground and then picked up the small wrench, handing it to his father.

"Great," Dean said, taking the wrench and squinting his eyes at something under the hood that he needed to get a closer look at.

"Dad, what's this picture of?" Jude asked. Dean looked over at his son to see Jude pointing to a picture of the whole group at the Falcon.

"Oh yeah. That was another one of the very memorable big family dinners. Do you know where you were that night?" Dean asked.

"In Mama's tummy?" Jude asked back.

"Yeah. That was the day that we found out that you were going to be you," Dean replied.

"That's cool. Dad… why don't you remember me being born?" Jude asked, curiously.

"Well, Jude, that's a good question. I uh, well now that you're old enough to understand, I'm going to tell you the truth. I don't want it to frighten you. See, your Uncle Sammy is my best friend right? Right next to your mom, he's the person I'd do anything for. Your Uncle Sammy was killed by a very bad person and I made a deal with a demon to save his life," Dean started.

"What? Why? Demons are bad!" Jude exclaimed.

"I know, but it was the one instance that I was willing to work with them… I wanted to save my brother. The price was that I had to die after a year so I did," Dean continued.

"But how did you come back?" Jude asked, curiously.

"Cas brought me back," Dean nodded.

"I miss him," Jude said.

"Me too, buddy," Dean said back. "I know what I just told you is really strange, so do you have any questions about it?"

Jude shook his head, "Nope. You did it to protect your brother."

"Just so you know, you are not allowed to do that. Do not work with demons under any kind of circumstance, you hear me?" Dean warned.

"Yes, Dad," Jude nodded once. "Hey, what about this one?" Jude pointed to a picture in the earlier pages of the scrapbook and Dean smiled, remembering that night.

"That was the night I took your mom to our school's homecoming dance. Your mom and I dated in high school," Dean replied.

"You did? That's a long time!" Jude exclaimed, fascinated.

"Oh no! We didn't date from high school all the way to now. We broke up because I had to go and we didn't get to see each other for almost nine-ten years or so. But when we did, that's when we got married, we had you…" Dean chuckled.

"Ten years is a long time, Daddy," Jude pointed out.

"I know, buddy," Dean replied.

"That's a shame. You could've had ten years with Mama that you didn't," Jude said.

"You're right. It was a shame, but now you're mom and I are married, and we love each other, and neither of us are going anywhere, alright?" Dean asked.

"You pinky promise, Dad?" Jude asked, holding out his pinky.

"Pinky _swear_, kiddo" Dean replied, locking his pinky with his son's. Jude smiled at Dean, happier than ever. "Hey, son, come see this. Then I may ask you tell him a little bit with the engine over here, okay?"

"Awesome!" Jude exclaimed.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**


	54. Ghost From the Past

"I'm just going to take a shower, okay?" Dean said, going towards the bathroom that our room led into.

"Okay," I said back. I rubbed my very pregnant belly. I was eight months along and it was getting closer and closer to having the babies. I honestly couldn't wait to meet these babies and to not be pregnant anymore. I felt huge and was pretty much ready to just do this.

I heard the shower water going on and so I picked up the open book that was sitting on my bedside table and began to read it. I finished a chapter before I heard the shower water go off. I was a pretty quick reader and the chapter was fairly short. I could hear Dean humming to himself in the bathroom as my cell phone began to rang. Strange… I looked over at the caller ID and my eyes widened a little as I saw the number. I hadn't heard gotten calls from that number in about two years. My heart quickened. Should I answer it or just ignore it? But no, I couldn't just ignore it. I owed him that much.

"Hello?" I answered the phone.

"Hi, Meredith," the voice over the phone said.

"Hi," I replied.

"It's uh, it's Nate," the voice said back.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah, I know. Uh, how are you?"

"Good… good. Um, look, I know that this is kind of weird, but I'm in town this weekend and was wondering if we could meet up… just talk a little," Nate replied. I took a deep breath, not knowing what to say back to him. I owed him an explanation, didn't I? Nate had been there for me through all of my marital problems with Dean so I knew that I needed to do this.

"Uh, yeah, I guess we could. Why is that you're in town?" I asked.

"Oh, my girlfriend and I are visiting her parents. Funny how it led me back here… I just thought we could talk about everything that happened and, I'm sorry, if this is really weird. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Nate started.

"No, no! It's fine. I'll uh, I'm sorry, can I call you back, though? How about tomorrow?" I asked, seeing Dean come out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to you tomorrow then," he said back.

"You too," I replied, before hanging up and putting my cell phone back on the bedside table.

"Who was that?" Dean asked.

"Uh… Nate," I replied.

"What?" Dean asked, tensing up.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Wait… are we talking about the same Nate that tried to steal you from me?" Dean exclaimed.

"Dean, he didn't try to steal me from you!" I stated.

"Meredith, he kissed you when he knew we were married. He frickin' met you at the park every day," Dean replied.

I sighed, "I know." Dean and I didn't say anything for a moment before I told him, "He wants to meet up and talk. He's in town now. That's why he called."

"No," Dean said.

"Dean!" I protested.

"He's one of the reasons that our marriage almost fell apart!" Dean yelled.

"I know, Dean, but… he was here for me and I feel like I owe him that much. I owe it to him to talk about everything that happened," I replied.

"Do you still have feelings for him?" Dean asked, firmly.

"How could you even ask me that, Dean? I'm here, with you. I didn't run away with Nate. I'm pregnant with your children, aren't I?" I asked back, angry that he even had to ask me that question. Of course I didn't have feelings for him but Nate had been such a good friend to me and I felt like I'd been an awful one. I wanted to at least say thank you for that and hopefully make up for it in some way or another. I felt like we needed that talk so that we could just get everything out of the air and not feel so uncomfortable anymore. I mean, when he called, almost didn't pick up. That's how uncomfortable things were now, but we used to be such good friends.

Dean took a moment to collect himself, "You're right. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even needed to ask you that."

"Dean, I love you, not Nate or anyone else. He was a really great friend to me and I… just kind of threw him out when I needed to fix things with you and I feel awful about that. He just wants to talk, Dean. Besides, he said that he's in town because he's visiting his girlfriend's parents that live here in Sioux Falls. He's with someone else. This would be two friends, just talking," I reasoned.

"Yeah, alright. But if he tries anything," Dean started.

"He's not like that, Dean," I said, cutting him off.

"I trust you, Mer. It's him I don't," Dean replied.

"I know, baby, but you don't have anything to worry about," I reassured. I then laughed a little.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Nothing, just go put some clothes. You're too sexy in just a towel," I giggled.

Dean chuckled, "I love you."

"I love you," I said back.

The next morning, I'd called up Nate and we met up at a coffee house in downtown Sioux Falls. After Nate ordered coffee and I got some tea, we made some polite, small, casual small talk, just kind of getting warmed up to the talks that we were about to have. It was so weird. Usually, I was practically pouring my soul out to Nate within two seconds but here we were… making small talk.

"So how have you been?" I asked.

"Good, how about you?" he asked back.

"Good… I'm pregnant," I replied.

"I can see that," Nate chuckled.

"So you're doing the whole meet the parents thing already, huh?" I asked, curiously.

"Oh, no. We've actually been together for about a year now and it was Abby's birthday this weekend so they invited us over to celebrate it," Nate replied.

"Abby is…" I started.

"My girlfriend," Nate answered.

"Oh, nice. Well, congrats on a year," I said.

"Yeah. So… boy or girl?" Nate asked.

"What?" I asked back out of confusion.

"The baby," Nate clarified.

"Right," I chuckled. "Both, actually. We're having twins."

"Oh, wow. Congratulations. Twins… that's a big deal," Nate noticed.

"Yeah, we're a little nervous how that's going to go with four kids in the house but I guess it'll prepare us for a future of three sons and only one daughter. Knowing John and Jude, hopefully these two will be a bit more calm so that we don't have a household full of… Tasmanian devils. Those two just have so much energy!" I replied.

Nate chuckled, "How are John and Jude? They must be a lot older by now."

"Yeah, John just turned three a couple of months ago and Jude will be seven this year, in August," I replied.

"Woah! How'd that happen?" Nate asked.

"I have no idea," I replied.

"Thanks for meeting me, by the way, Meredith," Nate said.

"It's no problem. I wanted to. I uh, kind of had to persuade Dean with being okay with idea though. He wasn't exactly too happy about it," I said back.

"Right. Sorry about that. If I caused any trouble or-," Nate started.

"No, not at all! I wanted to come here. I… I thought it would be good if we could just talk about it all, clear the air, you know?" I asked.

"Yeah. Look, I'm sorry if I caused any trouble, then and now. I really was well intended. I mean, you were my only friend when I first moved here and that's all I intended it to be. I didn't think that… well, you know, that I'd have feelings for you," Nate replied.

I nodded, "I didn't think I would either but… I don't know I think I wasn't in a good place and you were there for me and I want to say thank you for that. You were a better friend to me than I was to you."

"Not at all," Nate said.

"Yes. You listened to me and all of my stuff with Dean," I said back.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, you kept me from being cooped up in my house with the scrapbook containing pictures of my ex-wife. Look, Meredith, you really were a great friend to me, whether you believe it or not. I get why we had to go our separate ways. You had to fix things with your husband and I… needed to not fall for a married woman," Nate said.

"I'm sorry, by the way, if I did anything to-," I started.

"No. I think it all worked for the best. Abby is great and I really do love her," Nate replied.

"That's great, Nate. Hey, you know what? Why don't the three of you come over for dinner tonight? It's the least I can do to say thank you," I said.

"You sure Dean will be okay with that?" Nate asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He'll be fine," I replied.

"Alright, sounds great. What time?" Nate asked.

"How does seven sound?" I asked back.

"Perfect," Nate replied.

LINEBREAK

"Meredith, I really don't like this," Dean pouted.

"I'm sorry, babe. I just, it slipped out and I thought it would be a good idea at the time. Besides, he's bringing over his son and his girlfriend. Dean, he doesn't have feelings for me," I said, coming up behind him and massaging his shoulders.

Dean groaned, closing his eyes, "Well if you do this, then maybe I'll be okay with it." I continued massaging Dean's shoulders until I heard a knock at the door.

I giggled, kissing his cheek before saying, "It's probably them. I'm going to go get the door and let them in. Be nice."

"If I have to," Dean murmured.

I opened the door and smiled warmly, greeting Nate, his girlfriend, and his son. His girlfriend was a couple of inches shorter than him, and had short, wavy brown hair. She smiled, seeing me as the three of them ushered into my house.

"Hi, I'm Abby. Thank you so much for inviting us over. Sometimes I feel like I know nothing about Nate's past so it's good to finally meet an old friend of his," Abby greeted, holding her hand out to shake mine. I took it, shaking her hand.

"Oh, no worries at all. I'm glad that you guys could come over," I replied.

"Meredith!" Tommy exclaimed, coming over to hug me. I hugged him back.

"Woah, you've grown up so much!" I exclaimed, laughing a little.

"That's because you don't come visit us at the park anymore," Tommy replied.

"I'm sorry. It's just that ever since you guys moved, your park is about an hour away from my park which is kind of a long drive," I said.

"Yeah, but you should come visit our park sometimes. Hey, is Jude here?" Tommy asked.

"Yeah, she should be upstairs. I'm actually going to go check up on Jude and John. Why don't you three go into the living room? My husband is in there. Dean, we have company," I said, leading Tommy, Nate, and Abby into the living room where Dean sat, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey," Dean said, looking over at Nate once.

"Hi," Nate said, realizing that Dean was sending some very unfriendly vibes.

"Alright, I'm going to go check on John and Jude. I'll be back," I said. I then leaned in to Dean, kissing him on the cheek once and whispering in his ear, "Be nice." I honestly was a little nervous to leave them all alone, but I think they'd be fine. Besides, it'd give Dean an opportunity to see that Nate was obviously madly in love with his girlfriend and for him to maybe break the ice a little bit.

I went up the stairs, going into Jude's room, where John was sitting on the floor playing with his cars and Jude was making his bed, "Hey, boys, we have company. Nate is here. He's an old friend of mine. We used to meet him in the park."

"Hey, we stopped seeing him after a while," Jude noticed.

"I know, it's because they moved away," I replied.

"He's here?" Jude asked.

"Uh huh. Go ahead and go see him and then we'll start dinner," I replied. Jude nodded and then went downstairs to go see Nate.

"Are they staying for dinner, Mommy?" John asked.

"Yeah. Why don't you come with me and we'll go downstairs and make sure your daddy's being nice to all of our guests," I replied, picking John up as the two of us went downstairs together.

"It's a great house you have here. It's looks perfect for raising children," Abby said, looking around.

"Yeah, that's why we got it. We uh, there wasn't enough room in the apartment for a family and we wanted to start one," Dean replied.

"Huh," Abby said.

"Okay, dinner's ready. I think we'll eat in the dining room tonight because I don't think there's enough room for us all to sit at the kitchen table," I said, getting everyone's attention.

"Great," Nate said back.

Dinner had been kind of awkward. I was attempting to talk with Abby, Nate, and Dean all night, but Dean seemed very unwilling to participate in the conversation. Then again, I guess I understood but part of me felt like he should at least try.

"Abby, Nate tells me that you're a genealogist," I started.

"Oh, yeah. It's such interesting work!" Abby smiled.

"I bet," I replied.

"You're a teacher?" Abby asked.

"Yeah, I teach 11th grade English right now. It's… I love it. Dean is actually teaching auto shop as well over at the school," I said back.

"Oh, nice," Abby said.

"Dean?" I asked, seeing if he'd elaborate. Of course, I knew he wouldn't. He had been cold this entire time.

"Yeah, it's cool," Dean murmured.

"Dean," I sighed, under my breath. Nate looked over at me and I just shrugged. Dean noticed the exchange.

"Look, I'm sorry that I'm not going to be nice to the guy that tried to steal my wife," Dean said.

"Wait, what?" Abby asked.

"Go ahead. Tell her how you kissed my wife when you knew that she was married. We were having problems and you took advantage of that!" Dean challenged.

"Dean, please, stop," I hissed.

"No. You want me to say something? Fine, I'll say it. My wife may be ready to be friends with you again, but I sure as hell am not," Dean said, before getting up from the table and leaving the dining room.

"Will someone explain what the hell just happened?" Abby asked.

I sighed, shooting Nate an apologetic glance. I hadn't intended for any of this to end up the way that it did.

LINEBREAK

"Dean, do you want to tell me what was running through your mind back there?" I asked, coming into our bedroom. I had just turned on a movie for the boys, right after Abby, Nate, and Tommy left. Tonight's dinner had been a little too eventful and a lot less successful than I thought it would be. I guess Dean and Nate were never really going to ever be able to be friends – no matter how much I wanted them to be.

"Well, what do you expect me to do? Just sit there and act like the guy didn't play a part in what went wrong between us two years ago?" Dean asked.

I sighed, "No, you're right. Asking him over for dinner was too much. Just because I was ready to be friends it didn't mean that you were. I shouldn't have pushed you so much. I was just kind of setting myself up for all of that, wasn't I?"

"Yeah," Dean replied, in a 'well duh' tone.

"It's just, I don't know, I guess a part of me thought that if you saw that he had moved on and had a girlfriend and stuff, then you would be able to move past everything and be friends with him. He was a great friend to me and I guess I thought maybe you two could be friends eventually," I confessed, feeling really stupid. It had been a horrible idea and it was even worse that I was just realizing that.

"I know. He was a great friend to you and you were making me friends. But Mer, I can make friends myself, I promise. I'm a friendly guy," Dean joked.

I laughed, "Yeah, I know. You're a little too friendly, actually."

"You never complained," he winked.

I rolled my eyes playfully, "I'm sorry about tonight. I really shouldn't have put you in that position."

"It's alright. It's over now, you know?" Dean asked back.

"Yeah, alright, well I'll just going to make a quick phone call. The boys are watching Finding Nemo in the living room, so if you're done pouting, we'd love to have you in there," I teasing.

"This will make it all better," Dean said, pulling me in for a few sweet kisses. I smiled, before pulling away.

"Okay, I'll see you out there," I replied, before leaving the room. I went outside onto the front porch and called Nate. He picked up at about the third ring.

"Hey," Nate said.

"Hey," I said back. "Look, I'm sorry about tonight. I just realized what a bad idea it was… Dean's… he's not ready for this. I should've thought about him more. I guess I was just excited that you guys were in town and- and honestly, I wish you two could be friends. I can see now that that probably won't happen for quite some time."

"Yeah, and don't apologize. It's alright, Meredith," Nate replied.

"So, I guess this is goodbye for now?" I asked.

"Guess so," Nate replied.

"I hope I didn't cause any trouble with Abby," I said.

Nate chuckled, "No, she's fine. She understands that it was a part of my past and that I do love her."

"Good. Well, I better get going. The boys are watching Finding Nemo," I replied.

"Alright. It was good seeing you, Meredith. I uh, good luck with everything," Nate said.

"You too. Bye," I said back, before hanging up the phone.


	55. Jude's Very Own Storybook

**Author's Note**: Please listen to "Poison and Wine" by The Civil Wars over and over again while reading this chapter. Thanks! Warning: Updates may be slow for a while because life is about to get super busy for the next couple of days. I will try my best to update. I promise.

Also, the Ruby flashback takes place the beginning of episode 4 in season 4 "Metamorphosis"

* * *

><p><strong>May 29, 2015<strong>

"I hope I'm not bothering you," a voice said, followed by a knock on the door frame of my open door to my class room. I looked up from my papers that I was grading and smiled as soon as I saw Sam in the door way. I had been staying later because I'd be going on maternity leave soon and I wanted to tie up all of the loose ends before I left for maternity leave. I'd be coming back for my students' exams and a couple of review sessions, but other than that, I was done for the year.

"Not at all. Come in," I said, warmly.

"Dean says you've been working a lot lately," he said back.

"Yeah, I just want to make sure my students are going to be fine after I leave. I feel awful that I'm leaving them with a substitute only a week before exams but the substitute has been sitting in on my classes and we've made sure that she knows what we're doing. She's great so I know they're in good hands," I replied.

"You're a good teacher," Sam complimented.

"Thanks," I chuckled a little. "So what about you? How are you doing? How's the social working going?"

"Good. Once again, I'm still answering phones and working the crisis center, but I'm working up to a degree, you know?" Sam asked.

"You know, I knew all of that pre-law degree would pay off. Social Work sounds like it'll be good for you," I replied.

"I like it a lot. But you know, the most unexpected thing out of all of this was Dean as a teacher. I mean, it's auto shop but still, he's a teacher!" Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, he's good at it too," I smiled. "He's actually picking up a couple of shifts over at the garage. Ever since he fixed up my car again, he's been working there a bit. I don't know. I guess it gives him time to unwind or something. He's actually over there now."

"Oh, huh," Sam sounded.

"So how's Sawyer, Cole, and the new baby?" I asked, a smile spreading across my face at the thought of my sister's new family.

"Good… seeing as they gang up on me to get what they want," Sam laughed.

"Oh God. Of course. You know, I bet your children inherited that adorable, little, puppy dog look from you," I joked.

"Oh they did! It came from me so I thought I'd be immune or something, but nope. They all have their mom's eyes too so… well, one look and I'm done for," Sam joked.

"Oh God. Well, good luck with that," I said, with a small laugh. "Hey, I'm going to get out of here though. Thanks for stopping by, Sam."

"No problem. I'll walk you out," Sam said.

"Thanks," I said, getting up and then holding my stomach as I felt a sharp contraction. "Oh no."

"What? Are you okay?" Sam asked.

"Um… Sam… I think I'm- I think I'm going to have the babies… like soon," I said.

"What?" Sam asked.

"Well, I've kind of been in labor for a while but you're supposed to relax and stay home before you go to the hospital and uh… I think it's time to go to the hospital, Sam," I replied, taking deep breaths.

"Uh… okay, uh, deep breaths, Mer. You know, the whole breathing thing they teach you in school. Come on. Let's go to the car. I've got you," Sam said, going over to me, and balancing me as we rushed out of the school.

"We've got to call Dean!" I exclaimed.

"We'll call him from the car. Come on, Meredith. We've got to get you to the hospital," Sam coaxed.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Winchester, go ahead and take the Honda over there," said the general manager of the garage.

"Yeah, sure," Dean replied, walking over to the car that was parked at the opposite end of the garage.

"Hey, crank up the tunes. Nice," another one of the guys said, as they turned the classic rock station up even louder.

While Dean began to work on the other car, he couldn't hear his cell phone ringing, that he had left on the counter all the way on the opposite side of the garage. It was on vibrate and the music was loud enough that Dean couldn't hear it. There was a drill going off, making hearing anything but low sounds of the music impossible.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Dean's not picking up his phone. Do you think he's alright?" I asked. "Ow, damn it."

"Dean is fine. He's probably just at the garage and you know how loud it gets in there," Sam said, comfortingly.

"Yeah. He probably just hasn't checked his phone," Sawyer added.

"Look, I know you need Dean here right now. How about I got get him and-," Sam started.

"No, Sam you have to stay here with me. I-, you've been here ever since I went into labor and I just need you to stay here with me," I said grabbing Sam's hand to stop him from leaving. He could tell that I was really panicking. Of course I had been through this two times before, but not twins and I still hadn't this whole process. "I can't do all the needles and all of the painful prep work alone. Please stay, Sam."

Sam nodded, "Okay."

"You know what, how about I go get Dean?" Sawyer asked, soothingly.

"That would be great," I replied.

"Alright. Thank you for being here for Mereidth. I love you, babe," Sawyer said, kissing Sam on the cheek.

"I love you," Sam said back. Sawyer got up and left and I looked at Sam.

"Sorry, I just-, you're Dean's brother and you're the closest I have to Dean right now," I said.

"It's not a problem at all," Sam replied.

**~3****rd****Person POV~**

"Is Dean Winchester here?" Sawyer asked, looking around the garage and feeling terribly out of place.

"Yeah. He's uh, fixing up the Honda over there," the man replied.

"Great," Sawyer said, going over to the Honda and seeing Dean, looking at the engine under the hood. "Dean, hi."

"Sawyer, what are you doing here?" Dean asked, smiling as he saw his sister in law.

"Uh, is there any way you could give the job to someone else?" Sawyer asked.

"What? Why?" Dean asked, confused.

"Well, you're wife's in labor, Dean. She's having the babies soon," Sawyer said.

"What? Mer's having the babies?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, come on!" Sawyer replied.

Dean's heart was pounding his chest. He was going to be a father again. _God, you're such a lucky bastard_, Dean thought to himself. He was already lucky enough to get out the life for now and have two amazing songs and a beautiful life. And now, he and Meredith were having twins. Dean followed Sawyer towards the exit of the garage, taking his cell phone from the counter. He looked at it and saw the many missed calls. He cursed himself for leaving his phone all the way over there but it didn't matter. Right then, all he needed to do was get to the hospital.

"Winchester, where you do you think you're going?" the boss asked.

"Sorry, boss. My wife's having the babies! Any chance someone else can take the Honda?" Dean asked, eager to just book it out of there. There were a couple of cat calls and whistles coming from the other workers – even a couple of congratulatory responses.

"Damn, man. Yeah, you go. I'll take over," the boss replied, smiling back.

"Thanks," Dean replied, a huge grin on his face.

"Alright, we've got to hurry, Dean. Sam's there with Meredith so we'll call him on the way there," Sawyer said quickly.

"I'll have to think him for that later," Dean said.

"Yeah, come on," Sawyer urged, as the two raced towards Sawyer's car, eager to get to the hospital.

* * *

><p>After dropping Dean off at the hospital, Sawyer parked and let Dean sprint up the maternity ward to see Meredith. Sawyer was really happy for the two of them. She parked the car and then walked into the hospital, taking the elevator up to the maternity ward.<p>

"Hey, I just got off the phone with the nanny and she said that the kids are doing well," Sam said, greeting his wife with one, sweet kiss.

"Great. By the way, thank you for being there for my sister. You must've done something particularly wonderful for her to ask you to stay by her side while someone went to go tell Dean," Sawyer said.

"Thanks, babe, but I don't think I did anything miraculous. I think she just needed someone there that was close to Dean," Sam said.

"Well, if you'd ever let me give you a compliment…" Sawyer teased.

"Oh, right. We were working on that and I was doing so well!" Sam exclaimed, playfully.

"Uncle Sammy! Aunt Sawyer!" Sam and Sawyer both heard two little voices exclaim. They were almost immediately attacked by John and Jude, running towards the two of them. Sam caught John in his arms and picked him up while Jude gave Sawyer a hug.

"Hey, you guys. Where did you two come from?" Sawyer asked.

"Uncle Ethan dropped us off but he had to go to a surgery," John replied, matter of factly.

"And Aunt Molly is in New York again but she called to tell us to tell Mom that she wishes she could be there and that she says good luck," Jude added.

"You know, I think it's pretty cool that Uncle Ethan fixing people. I mean, I like that Daddy fixes cars too but I think I want to fix people too," Jude said.

"Looks like we've got a doctor on our hands, huh?" Sam asked his wife.

"Looks like it. Okay, how about we all go to the waiting room and just sit down while we wait for some news from your mom and dad," Sawyer proposed.

"Okay. Hey, we're getting a new brother," John said, his eyes lighting up.

"And a sister!" Jude added.

"Yeah, but now I'm not the little brother. This brother is little brother now," John said, smiling evily.

"Uh oh," Sam teased.

They all got settled in and Sam went to go get a coffee for Sawyer. John was playing with a puzzle while Jude was sitting at the table coloring and writing some things with a pack of colored pencils and several sheets of blank, white printer paper. Sawyer sat across from Jude at the small table, reading a new manuscript that she had just got sent to the office. She and Tara, her business partner, had split them up in half and decided the best way to tackle this was to divide and conquer.

"Hey, you," Sam said, sitting next to Sawyer and handing her a Styrofoam cup of coffee.

"Hey," Sawyer smiled back.

"Oh no, John don't go over there!" Sawyer exclaimed, running over to catch John before he wandered out of the waiting room and around the hospital. "Why don't you come sit over here with me, your brother and your Uncle Sam?"

"No! Let's go for a walk, please!" John begged, restlessly squirming around in Sawyer's hold.

"Alright, alright. We'll go for a short walk. How about that?" Sawyer asked.

"Okay," Jude agreed, taking his Aunt's hand and pulling her out of the waiting room. Sawyer only planned on going down the hall until she coaxed John into going back to the waiting room.

"Hey, Jude, what're you making?" Sam asked, curiously to his nephew.

"I'm making a book that's illustrated and everything for the new members of our family. They're twins so I hope they will share because I'm only make one of these," Jude replied, diligently working on his project.

"What kind of book?" Sam asked.

"Well, it's just a book about our family and Mom and Dad. See? I have a page about me and a page about Jude. I wrote a page about you and Aunt Sawyer and then Uncle Ethan and Aunt Molly. This is my page about Andrea. I've been working on it for a while because I wanted them to have it when they were born," Jude said.

"Huh. That's really cool, dude. I bet they're really going to like it. Which page are you working on now?" Sam asked, curiously.

"I'm working on the page about Mom and Dad. Uncle Sammy, how did Mom and Dad fall in love?" Jude asked.

"That's a good question and a very long story. I'm pretty sure you're going to need about a thousand pages to capture all of that," Sam chuckled.

"Hm… how about just one thing then," Jude asked.

"Hm… well, the night your Mom and Dad told each other they loved each other was a big one. I can remember Dean that night. It was Thanksgiving and we had it at your Grandma Andrea's but when we got back, and Dean told me what had happened…" Sam replied.

_~Flashback~_

"_Hey, Dean, do you want to go play some video games?" Sam asked, as soon as they got home. Meredith had run up to her room to change into something comfortable while Sam and Dean were still in the living room. John and Bobby had gone off into the kitchen to get a beer._

_"Uh… can't. Sorry, kiddo," Dean replied._

_Sam looked at his brother, almost hurt, "Well I can't play by myself." It felt like Dean never had the time for Sam and anymore and Sam just wanted to spend some time with his big brother every once in a while._

_"Look, normally I'd say 'yes' but not right now, Sam. I've got to go talk to Meredith," Dean said, anxiously._

_"What happened? What did you do?" Sam asked._

_"Why is it me that's always the one screwing up?" Dean asked back. "Sorry, nothing. I didn't do anything bad. I-, I told her I loved her tonight, at dinner, okay? But don't tell Dad. He'd freak out and tell me that it would mess with me as a hunter and stuff."_

_"Well do you?" Sam asked, softly._

_"Yeah, I do. I'm in love with her, Sammy. God, who would've ever thought that I'd fall in love?" Dean said, smiling to himself. Meredith had said it back tonight too. Dean felt on top of the world. As of now, this had been the best night of his life. He was in love with her and she loved him back. He didn't know if it got any better than this._

_"Definitely not me. I thought you'd be hanging out with that loser Stephen forever," Sam chuckled._

_"Not that clown!" Dean groaned._

_"Don't say clown!" Sam exclaimed._

_"Haha, aw, Sammy. You still afraid of clowns?" Dean teased._

_"Shut up," Sam grumbled._

_"Yeah, I'm in love with her, Sammy. Shit…" Dean sighed._

_Sam looked up at his older brother in admiration. His big brother was in love and he could see it. Sam cared a lot about Meredith. She was like his big sister and he knew that his brother wouldn't hurt her. He could see how much he loved her. Sam saw the way that Dean looked at Meredith. He wanted to look at someone like that one day, too…_

_~End Flashback~_

"Uncle Sammy, you're afraid of clowns?" Jude asked, giving his uncle a funny look.

"Yeah, they're… creepy," Sam shuddered.

Jude laughed, "Whatever you say. So Dad and Mom said they loved each other that night? That was all the way in high school!"

"Yeah. Well, we all had this ongoing joke that they've been I love with each other ever since they were seven. You see, when they first saw each other, we could all tell that they were going to have crushes on each other but they never acted on it until they were sixteen," Sam continued.

"Why not?" Jude asked.

"I guess they were scared," Sam shrugged.

"But why? Daddy says that we're Winchesters and Winchesters are ladies' men," Jude asked again.

Sam chuckled, "Of course your dad said that. Well, Jude, to answer your question, your dad is a ladies' man and with any other woman he easily smooth talks her and uses all of his tricks, but when you really love someone it's scary and you know you don't have to use all of those tricks."

"Got it," Jude said, returning to his book. Jude began to scribble away and then draw some pictures on his paper. "Uncle Sam?"

"Hey, the only way we could get this one back is if I bribed him with some cafeteria ice cream so we brought some back for everyone," Sawyer said, coming back with John who was eating some ice cream from a cup.

"Thanks," Jude said, taking his and setting it off the to the side.

"You're not going to eat yours?" Sawyer asked, concerned.

"Not yet," Jude replied, determined.

"Jude is making a book about everything that the twins will need to know," Sam replied.

"Ah, I see," Sawyer said. Sawyer reached under the table, grabbing her husband's hand and giving it a small squeeze. Sam looked back at his beautiful wife, happy that she was here. This was a good day. His brother was going to be a dad again and life just felt good.

"Is there anything else that my brother and sister might want to know?" Jude asked.

"Your dad is goof ball. That's a given," Sam joked.

Jude laughed, "Yeah, he is."

"Your mom and dad are great hunters. I mean, you know that about your dad but, you know, your mom is really tough," Sam started.

"Mom's not tough," Jude disagreed.

"Oh, yes she is!" Sawyer said.

"How so?" Jude asked, skeptically.

"Well, you remember your mom kicking some major demon butt when you guys were attacked?" Sam asked back.

"Yeah… that was Mom," Jude said.

"Yeah. She and our dad used to go at it all the time. They used to get so mad at each other…" Sawyer started.

_~Flashback~_

_"So Dean took care of you last night?" Dad asked._

_"Yeah," I replied._

_"Good," Dad said._

_Oh my God. He didn't even know about Dean and me. I honestly didn't want to tell him about us right now._

_"You slept in different beds?" Dad asked._

_"Yeah," I mumbled. I hoped he couldn't tell that I was lying._

_"Are you still good friends with him or has that changed? I would think that high school would really influence him," Dad started._

_"Actually, Dean's a really good guy, Dad," I corrected, tense._

_"And what makes you say that?" he asked. I didn't answer him. I just stood there and stared at him. Oh God, he was catching on. "You're seeing him, aren't you?"_

_There was a long pause before I finally answered, "Yes."_

_"How could… John, why did he let you share a room? You should've been in different rooms last night. I can't believe he would've ok-ed this. Actually, I'm not surprised. John is reckless he-, Dean didn't do anything to you, did he?" Dad asked, starting to panic._

_"No, everything's fine!" I exclaimed._

_"That boy is just like his father! The two of them are reckless, careless, and heartbreakers. I don't trust him," Dad said._

_"That boy has a name!" I shouted. I couldn't even believe that my dad was going down this path._

_"Dad, he loves me and I love him. I just hope that you can accept it and be happy for me because Bobby, John, and Andrea all are."_

_"Meredith, you have to be careful around him. He-," Dad started._

_"You know what? You can ask Bobby, John, or Andrea, adults that have actually been around me the past year. Hell, most of my life. More than you ever have! Dean cares about me. He's not just screwing around," I said. "I can't believe you think that all Dean would care about, all he'd want from me… Jesus, I'm done fighting with you, Dad. I really am."_

_"Meredith, where are you going?" Dad asked, as I stormed out of my room._

_"Out," I snapped, not bothering to even look back._

_~End Flashback~_

"Woah. I don't think I've ever seen Mom that mad before," Jude said, surprised.

"Mama doesn't get mad," John protested.

"Oh yes she does. And if the demon but kicking isn't enough, you should've seen her kick Ruby's butt," Sam said.

"Who's Ruby?" Jude asked.

Sawyer shifted uncomfortably as Sam said, "A demon that we trusted a little too much."

_~Flashback~_

_"Dean, let me explain," Sam begged. Dean and Meredith had just caught Sam exorcising a demon from someone with his mind. There was a woman standing in the room, pleased. Meredith had a feeling that she knew exactly who that was and I wasn't happy with it._

_"Let you explain? You can explain this? You can start with explain who she is!" Dean said through gritted teeth, trying to keep from exploding._

_"Hi, Dean," the woman smirked, a cruel smile on her face. Oh no. Sam. He wouldn't have. How could he have done this? They both already knew before he had given us an answer._

_"Ruby?" Dean asked, practically spitting at the sound of her name. She just smiled in returned but Meredith was determined to wipe that smile off of her face. She charged at Ruby, through punches left and right, kicking and hitting. Ruby put up a good fight but Meredith was way too pissed to even be a match for her._

_"Woah, Mer!" Dean exclaimed, pulling his wife off of Ruby. Ruby lunged back at Meredith but Sam grabbed hold of her._

_"Dean, I'm not finished yet. Let me finish!" Meredith screamed, kicking and trying to squirm out of Dean's arms to keep hitting Ruby._

_"She's not worth it," Dean said, trying to calm Meredith down. "Come on. Let's just go." Meredith obliged, knowing it was what Dean needed but she was still fuming._

_~End Flashback~_

"Woah. Mom's kinda crazy," Jude said, eyes wide.

"In her defense, Ruby deserved it," Sam said back.

"Go, Mom!" John cheered, ice cream all over his face.

"John!" Sawyer laughed, getting a napkin to wipe John's face with. "You know, I think she would've even kicked Lydia's butt, even with the Amazonian super strength."

"I think she would've too," Sam chuckled.

"Hey, Uncle Sam, did Mom ever attack you?" Jude asked, amused.

"Yeah," Sam sighed. "But it was with her words," Sam answered.

_~Flashback~_

_"Hi," I said, awkwardly._

_Sam smiled weakly, "Hi." I didn't have anything to say to Sam, especially after learning that he just watched Dean get turned, that he didn't stop him. "You're mad at me."_

_"No, no, I'm not," I said back, trying to keep it under control._

_"You are. I can tell," Sam said back._

_"Alright, fine, you know what? I am mad at you. I don't know who the hell you are anymore," I replied. I could feel my control slipping and that I was probably about to blow up. Sorry, Sam…_

_"I don't know what you're talking about," Sam started, defensively._

_"I've seen you with Jude and with Dean and-, you were amazing with Jude when he was first born. You were there at all of my appointments, at his birth. And then when he was born, God he loved you, Sam. But this time, you're back and… it's like you don't know how to be around him anymore. And Dean! Dean's hurting and all he wants is his brother back but he and I can both tell that something's different," I said._

_"I was in Hell, Meredith. I doubt you know what that's like at all," Sam rebutted._

_"Yeah, and so was Dean for a hell of a lot longer than you," I snapped._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam asked._

_"When we found you, you had been back for a year. You went to hell, or so we thought, about a year ago," I replied. Sam didn't reply. He just sat there, staring at the wall. "God, the old Sam that we know and love wouldn't just sit here. He'd- he'd, yell and get mad and-, it's like you can't even feel anymore!" Sam just glared at me. "Fine, you know what? I'm going to bed. But, I don't know where the hell that amazing guy that chased Dean when he left after I told him was pregnant and yelled at him for being an ass. You know, sometimes I think that you're the reason he came back and apologized. And what about the Sam that came to every single one of my doctor's appointment and held me hand during all the needles because you know how much I hate needles? Or the Sam that had the biggest heart I've ever seen...? We want that Sam back."_

_~End Flashback~_

"Now that I think about it, you don't want to mess with Mom!" Jude exclaimed.

"No, sir!" John added, happily.

Sam chuckled but they were all interrupted by Dean coming out into the waiting room. Sawyer and Sam looked up, hoping for good news, "Well?"

A huge grin spread across Dean's face, "They're beautiful. She's just… sitting there and holding them. And… you can come in, if you'd like."

"Oh my God," Sawyer gasped, happily.

Sam, Sawyer, Jude, and John followed Dean into the delivery room. Meredith lay there on the hospital bed, smiling like the proud mother that she was.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"Hi, baby," I smiled, seeing Dean and the rest of my family come in.

"Hi, you. She was so great in here. God, you're beautiful," Dean smiled, kissing me on the forehead. I was all warm and fuzzy inside that it was almost overwhelming.

"Oh my God," Sam and Sawyer both said in turn, seeing the twins. I gave our daughter to Sawyer to hold.

"That's Victoria Mary Winchester. Say hi to your Aunt Sawyer, Victoria," I said.

"She's beautiful, Meredith," Sawyer said in awe, looking down at the small tiny baby. Sawyer cradled the baby in her arms and I smiled, looking at my sister.

"And this, this is Flynn Samuel Winchester," I said, handing the baby to Sam

"Samuel?" Sam asked, surprised. Was that an almost tear in his eye?

"Yeah," I said, as Dean and I exchanged glances.

"You're my brother and my best friend, Sammy," Dean started.

"And you've always been here for me. You were her for me today, when Dean and I are having trouble… so yeah, his middle name is Samuel," I replied.

"Hey, Flynn," Sam said, smiling down at the little baby boy.

"That's your Uncle Sam, Flynn. Your named after him," I said.

"Mama! Can we meet our new brother and sister too?" Jude asked as both Jude and John hopped up on the hospital bed with me.

"Woah, kids! Your mom's recovering right now. Be careful," Dean warned, lightly.

"It's okay, Dean," I giggled. He was always looking out for me.

"Yeah, of course. In a minute when your Aunt and Uncle are done," I replied.

"We missed you, Mama," John said.

"Yeah. Hey, I made a book for Victoria and Flynn. It's not finished yet, but it will be soon," Jude said.

"You made a book, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's so that they can know some stuff that they should," Jude replied.

"Look at you, already being a good brother," Dean added. I smiled, happily looking around the waiting room. "Hey, you should you get some rest. You've had quite a day, Mrs. Winchester," Dean said to me.

"I'm okay. I'm liking the family time," I said back, softly. He leaned down, kissing me a couple of times, making my heart flutter.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you," I said back.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Alright, so I wanted to try something new. Instead of the chapter being all about the babies and Meredith and Dean, I thought I'd make it about them in a different kind of way. Let me know what you think! This is a LONG chapter. DANG.<p> 


	56. Babies Are So Much Work

_**2 months later…**_

**~Dean's Point of View~**

I sat behind the wheel and sipped my coke. I glanced back at the kids. They were contently sitting in their car seats, while I finished my burger. The lights were beginning to flicker off and it looked like everyone was shutting down. _So much for an all night, 24/7 burger joint_, I thought to myself. It was around 4 am and so I started up the car and began to drive back home.

If we had thought having one screaming, crying baby was hard, try having two. The minute one would stop crying, the other one would start. Some nights, I knew that Meredith really needed her sleep so we would drive. I'd take the babies out to the car, and we'd drive. It didn't really matter where. Sometimes we just went to the supermarket and back, other times we went to this burger joint I had found in town. It wasn't the best, but the burgers were pretty good and it was supposed to be open all night. Sometimes we went in, other times, we just sat in the car, like tonight. The place was older and still had a jukebox.

A loud cry erupted from one of the kids and I groaned, glancing back to see who it was.

"Flynn," I groaned.

"Alright… how does this thing work?" I asked, messing around with the iPod that was hooked up to my car. "Wait, what the hell is Sammy's iPod doing here? I should just-." I contemplated throwing it back there but I figured it would hit one of my kids, which would be bad, and maybe, just maybe, it may come in handy.

I played around with it for a while, making sure to check the road, before finally getting it to play something, "What the hell is this? Come on, Sammy. What? No! No, don't do that!" There was some soft acoustic song playing and it was kind of lame, but Flynn stopped crying. I let the song play before changing it but Flynn began crying again. "No, go back!" I went back and played the song and Flynn, once again, stopped crying. "Huh. What is this anyways?" I looked down at the iPod and it said "Fast Car" By Boyce Avenue feat. Kina Grannis.

Oh God…

It was actually kind of nice, but I'd never admit that to anyone.

"Now that I got you two to stop crying and your Mommy a good solid hour of sleep, let's get home," I said, glancing back at my kids again, before speeding up just a little, and driving home.

The minute I got home, I put the babies back in their cribs and went into the bedroom, crawling into bed with Meredith.

"How was the drive?" she mumbled softly in her sleep.

"It was great. Go back to bed, Mer," I said back.

And right on cue, the babies began crying again. Meredith took a deep breath before getting up.

"I'll go get them," she said.

"Are you sure? I'm already up?" I asked back.

"Yeah, you need your sleep now," she replied, kissing me once, before leaving the room to go take care of our kids. I smiled to myself. I had an awesome wife.

**~End Dean's POV~**

"Hey what's this page?" I asked, curiously. I flipped to the second to last page of Jude's book that he had made for the twins. He had finally let me see it.

"That one is a page for Grandpa Bobby. It also has some stuff about your mom and dad and Daddy's mom and dad. It says: "I know we never got to meet them, but they meant a lot to our mom and dad. So does Grandpa Bobby. I wish you could've met him. He was awesome. I love him and miss him very much"," Jude read to me.

I smiled, "I think the twins are going to love it when they're old enough to read."

"You think?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up.

"I know," I replied.

"Alright, well, how you go get dressed because I've got to get dressed too. I should probably take this time when the babies are asleep to go change out of my pajamas," I suggested.

"Sure… we can't stay in our pajamas all day?" Jude asked, coyly.

I chuckled, "No, we can't. Unless you don't why to go to the park today. I think your dad wanted to play some ball or something."

"Really? Okay, okay! I'll go get dressed!" Jude exclaimed.

"Alright," I laughed a little, as Jude excited ran towards his dresser so that he could get out a shirt and some pants. I got off of his bed, and went downstairs, back to our room, making sure that the baby monitor was on.

Dean was fast asleep, passed out on the bed. I wasn't surprised. He had been the twins out on drives late at night when they wouldn't stop crying. It was really sweet that he wanted me to get some sleep, but I wanted him to sleep too. We were parents of twins, and yeah, that was going to be really hard, but I didn't want him to have to do all the work. I figured I wouldn't wake him up just yet.

I opened up the closet to see what I was going to wear today. I was finally beginning to get my body back, meaning I could actually wear some of the clothes that I honestly hadn't been in the mood to wear before, due to the fact that I still had some baby weight and was exhausted, due to the twins. I picked out a navy frock covered all in a rose pattern on the fabric, and a skinny, chestnut belt. There were buttons down most of the front and it was a deep, narrow v-neck like cut, if the buttons were unbuttoned enough. I then chose some low, light brown wedges, a small bow tied at the top of the shoe with thin brown string. I didn't put them on yet, but they went so well with the dress that I'd wear that if we ended up going out today. I put my hair up in a messy bun for now. I didn't really have time to mess with my hair but I was happy that I finally felt good wearing my old clothes again. I had been going to the Y and taking pilates classes and just exercising in general. It felt good to get fit again because I had missed exercising. Call me a junkie, but I did like those endorphins…

I went out of the room and back upstairs, opening the door to John's room. John was still asleep, curled up in his blankets. He looked so precious all curled up in his bed. I went over and sat on the edge of his bed.

"Hey, John, it's time to wake up," I said softly.

"Mama, are you awake?" John mumbled, half-conscious.

I laughed, "Yes, I am awake. Come on. Let's get up and have some breakfast. We can have some cereal, maybe some bacon…"

"Ooh, bacon," John smiled, opening his eyes and looking at me.

"Yep. Go ahead and get dressed and go brush your teeth so that we can have breakfast," I encouraged.

"Okay! Bacon!" John exclaimed.

I laughed as I watched my son jump out of bed, and hurry to get some clothes on in time for breakfast. I left the room, and saw Jude coming out of his room.

"Is Dad still asleep?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, he had a late night with the twins last night," I replied.

"They're so loud. Why do they have to keep crying?" Jude groaned, rubbing his eyes.

"They're babies. Babies cry a lot. I'm sorry. If you want to sleep downstairs or something tonight, you can," I replied.

"I'll think about it," Jude answered.

"Did you sleep alright?" I asked.

Jude shrugged, "Just okay."

"I'm sorry, sweetie," I said back.

"It's okay, Mom," Jude shrugged. "How about you?"

"I slept just fine," I said.

"Do you need any help with breakfast?" Jude asked.

"Sure. Yeah, that'd be great, actually," I smiled. "Why don't you meet me down there? Go make yourself some cereal and I'll be down there in a moment. I've just got to get John and the twins downstairs first."

"Okay, Mom," Jude agreed, going down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Later that day, after Dean took the kids to the park, John and Jude stayed with their dad while I took the twins over to Molly's store. I figured I'd stop by and say hi, and while I was at it, I'd relieve Dean from having to take care of four kids all on his own. I opened the door to her store, pushing the stroller in front of me that contained Victoria and Flynn. Molly was at the counter, sitting on a stool in a navy blue dress with a pleated neckline, military-inspired pockets, and broad belt, creating a classic silhouette.<p>

"Hey," I said.

"Hi!" Molly said, looking up from the counter. She had been drawing and right next to her on another stool, Renee sat, doodling on a piece of paper.

"Like mother like daughter. Look at the two of you! Maybe Renee will be a big, successful fashion designer one day too," I said playfully.

"How does that sound, baby? Do you want to be a fashion designer like Mama?" Molly asked, looking over at her daughter. Her daughter looked back up at her mom, with her light brown eyes.

"Maybe. Mama, can I get down now?" Renee asked.

"Sure, sweetie," Molly said, getting out of her stool and taking Renee off of hers, setting her down on the ground. "Aw, you brought the twins. How is that going anyways? We went crazy over the sleepless nights… how are you actually managing two babies?"

I chuckled, "I have no idea. I haven't been sleeping much… at all. It's actually really sweet. Dean takes out the twins for a ride in the car sometimes when he knows that I'm running on zero sleep, at night."

"Aw, that is sweet!" Molly said. "He's such a good husband, Mer. He really loves you."

"Auntie Meredith," Renee smiled, coming out from behind the store counter and hugging me. I bent down to hug her back.

"Hey, Renee. What're you two up to today?" I asked.

"We're just doing some sketching. Mama is really good at that," she smiled.

"Sweetie, what do you think? Does this say "I'm classy and subtle" or do you think it's way too loud for my Spring collection?" Molly asked, holding up the sketch for her daughter to see. Renee turned her head to the side a little and thought about it. "I like it Mama. Pretty. I like the purple. It's perfect," Renee said back.

"Wow, Molly. You really are training her to be a young fashion designer," I said, amused.

Molly shrugged, "She likes it when I ask her about her opinion on my sketches."

"I do. I like to help Mama work," Renee smiled proudly.

I chuckled, "That's great."

"I see that you brought my newest little nephews here. Oh my God, they're precious, Meredith. They look like little sleeping angels," Molly smiled.

"For now," I joked.

"Yeah, you and I both know all about that. But at least they're sleeping now. Knock on wood," Molly said.

"Yeah. It's probably the one time they ever will today. I should be getting home though. I'm going to put them down for a nap and wait for Dean, Jude, and John to come home.

"Oh, alright. Well, thanks for stopping by," Molly said.

"No problem," I said back.

* * *

><p>"Wow," I heard a voice say.<p>

"What?" I asked, turning around to see Dean, standing in the doorway to the living room.

"You actually got the twins to sleep. That's an achievement," Dean said.

"Yeah they've been out for a while. I think all that crying last night wore them out. Hopefully they'll sleep tonight as well. Fingers crossed," I chuckled a little.

"Hm," Dean sounded.

"Dean," I said.

"What?" he asked back.

"Stop looking at me like that," I blushed.

"Like I want to get you pregnant?" Dean smirked.

"Yes," I replied, rolling my eyes playfully.

"But I do," Dean said, taking steps towards me, looking me up and down.

"Dean," I giggled. "We just had two babies – twins. That's enough work as it is! You can't seriously be thinking about having another kid right now. We barely have any sleep!"

"I'm just kidding, baby," Dean chuckled. "But we can practice right now, if you want. John and the twins are all napping. Jude is upstairs… you know, doing what he does. We could be really quiet, although I know you may have trouble with that."

I hit Dean playfully, "Wow, thanks, babe!"

"I'm serious. It's been so long," Dean groaned.

"No it hasn't," I argued back, playfully.

"Yes it has," Dean said, gently pushing me down on the couch and climbing on top of me. I giggled and bit my lip while Dean just stared into my eyes.

"Dean," I whispered, before he crashed his lips against mine. He was right. It had been a while. We honestly hadn't had much time at all for sex after the babies were born and we had just been too busy. With Dean so close to me, I had to admit, that I was seriously considering taking him up on his offer. I had missed this a lot…

Dean's hands roamed my body, as he began to leave small kisses on my neck. The feel of his lips on my bare skin sent sparks across my body. That mouth… God he was good with his mouth… and those hands…

"Oh, Dean," I moaned softly.

"See, I told you, you'd have trouble keeping quiet," Dean said, as I felt him smirk against my skin.

Suddenly, one of the babies began crying upstairs and Dean and I pulled apart. I sat up: "Damn it."

"Mmm, why?" Dean asked, wrapping his arms around me as he began to leave kisses on my shoulders and neck. "I think that's Flynn. Let him work it out."

I shook my head, "He's going to wake up Victoria if we don't calm him down."

"You're right," Dean groaned.

I turned around, kissing Dean passionately, before pulling away.

"Later, okay?" I asked.

"I knew you wanted me," Dean said, cockily.

"Shut up," I said, rolling my eyes playfully and pushing him down on the coach. "Don't move a muscle. I'll be right back." I got up, turning to look Dean only once, before going upstairs and going to comfort Flynn so that he'd go back to sleep and not wake up his sister.

Babies were so much work…


	57. Summer Days

Author's Note: As of now, I'm afraid that there will only be a few chapters left. Scary… I know. But I do have a great ending in store for you and a hell of a lot in the spin off. Sorry updates have been slow. Life is sometimes quite busy.

* * *

><p>"Babe, can I get you something to drink?" Dean asked.<p>

"I'm good, thanks. Would you look at this view?" I gasped, gazing out to the beach. The water was so blue and the tide was lower at the moment. There were a couple of people out on the part of the beach across from the house, just playing in the water or laying out in the afternoon sun.

"Yeah, the view is great," Dean said, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"The water is so blue… how come we never went to California to visit Sawyer?" I asked.

"Good question babe, but that's not what I was talking about," Dean said, his voice low and sexy, as he leaned down to lay a few kisses on the tops of my shoulder. I smiled, giggling as Dean began to kiss me, throwing my head back.

"No, I got there first!" Jude argued.

"Nuh uh. I did. You lost," John replied.

"No, you did!" Jude said back, as the two of them ran across the living room, racing each other towards the staircase.

"John, be careful when you're going up the stairs. Jude, please help your brother. You know he can climb up the stairs like you can yet," I warned, in a motherly tone.

"Boys will be boys," Dean said.

I shook my head, chuckling, "I'm a worried mother, okay?"

"That's so hot," Dean smirked.

"Stop it," I giggled.

"Nope," Dean said, leaning in and kissing me. I smiled into the kiss, kissing him back. God, my husband was amazing. He was funny and charming and no matter how ridiculous his sense of humor could get, it still worked like a charm on me.

"You two seriously need to get a room. I mean, come on, guys! There are so many bedrooms in the house and you still feel the need to do your… business out here in the open?" Ethan asked, as the door opened and Molly, Ethan, and Renee walked into the beach house as well.

"We had a room. You're just in it," I replied, jokingly snappy.

"He he, you're so funny," Ethan said back, sarcastically. I stuck my tongue out at him, playfully.

"Alright, you two. Settle down," Molly joked.

"I'm glad you guys got here. Do you know if Sam and Sawyer are on their way?" I asked.

"Yeah, they were right behind us. I think they're still getting all the stuff from their car. Wow, this house is beautiful," Molly said, looking around at the gorgeous beach house.

"I know, right?" I asked back.

"Hey, I'm going to go find a bedroom and start unpacking our stuff. Come join me?" Ethan asked, offering his hand out to his wife.

"Sure. Renee, sweetie, why don't you come with me and your dad to help unpack your stuff," Molly coaxed.

"Hi, Auntie Meredith, Uncle Dean. Is John here yet?" Renee asked.

"Yeah, but he's unpacking some stuff with his brother. Don't worry. He'll come say hi in a minute," I reassured. Renee smiled before following her parents upstairs to go find rooms. The house was huge, s o there'd be plenty of rooms. Renee was getting her own room because she was the only girl here and all of the boys would bunk together. John and Jude got the room with the bunk beds and everything and Cole would sleep on the trundle bed.

"She and John are practically attached at the hip these days," Dean noticed.

"I know," I replied.

Just then, the front door opened once again, and Sawyer and Sam came into house. Sawyer was wearing a mint green, loose fighting, cap sleeved dress with a dark brown braided belt. She had sunglasses on the top of her head and she was holding Haley in her arms. I smiled as soon as I saw the last addition to our family.

"Hey, guys," I said.

"Sammy! Sawyer! Took you long enough. Makes sense though. Sammy drives like an old lady," Dean teased.

"I do not!" Sam protested.

"Sawyer, tell your friend thanks so much for letting us all stay here. It's a gorgeous house and I think we all needed a little vacation before summer is over," I said.

"It's no problem," Sawyer smiled.

"How exactly did you hook us up with this place again?" Dean asked, curiously.

"Oh, well when I was living in LA I had tons of friends with beach houses like this. I was talking to an old friend of mine the other day and she said that they were in Europe this summer and she offered to let us use her house just for… you know, a family vacation," Sawyer replied simply.

"Huh. It's… interesting to see how the other half lives," Dean said, looking around and the house and whistling once.

"Yeah," I agreed, still in awe of the house.

"Hey, the babies are all sleeping in the same room, right?" Sawyer asked.

"Yeah," Dean replied.

"Alright, well I'm going to go put Haley down for a nap. I think she's getting really sleepy. She didn't sleep an ounce on the way here this morning," Sawyer said, looking down at her little daughter.

"Uh, I think they're at the farthest end down the hall upstairs," I recalled.

"Great," Sawyer replied, before leaving the room.

"So how is the constantly crying baby thing going?" Dean asked, teasing his brother.

"I don't know. How's the two constantly crying baby thing going?" Sam asked back.

"Touche," Dean said.

I laughed, "Alright, you two. If you don't mind, I'm probably going to follow Molly and Ethan's lead and go unpack some things."

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute, babe," Dean said.

"Mkay," I replied, contently, before going to the bedroom that Dean and I had picked out that was downstairs. There were three bedrooms down here and four upstairs. All of us couples took the bedrooms down stairs while the kids would sleep upstairs.

Later that night, once everyone had settled into the beach house, we started on dinner. I was in the kitchen, helping make dinner.

"Hey, will you pass me the basil? I think I'm going to add some more to bring out the flavor," Ethan asked.

"Sure," I replied. Ethan and I had volunteered to do dinner tonight. It had been a tradition for the both of us to cook. We were always Andrea's sous chefs for Thanksgiving dinner and it had always just been a thing for us. Currently, there was a very old The Format CD playing in the background.

_"So give it up/throw your hats in the air/and change just as they land saying "we'll get out of here"/but something tells me that you're too scared to go,"_I sang softly to myself.

"This and "Career Day" are my favorites off of this album," Ethan commented.

"Me too. Hey, it's good to have something that actually appreciates this music. Dean can't stand this stuff," I chuckled.

"Yeah, Molly isn't a huge fan either," Ethan added.

"You know, it's funny because the other day, I caught Dean listening to something by Boyce Avenue, you know that cover band? I asked him what he was doing and he said that it calms the twins down," I replied.

"Oh God. Hey, now he can't make fun of our music!" Ethan said.

"Exactly!" I agreed. The two of us laughed.

"How's your mom?" I asked. "I feel like I haven't been over to the café in a while. I know it's been like a week but I'm so used to being there all the time that it's weird. I haven't talked to her in a while because we've been so busy with the kids."

"Don't worry, Mer. She understands. She's good. She's trying to grasp the idea that she's turning sixty this year," Ethan replied.

"Oh my God, she is turning sixty! Well, we'll just have to throw her an extra special birthday. I'm assuming that she doesn't want to make a big deal out of it and just wants a family thing, yes?" I asked, knowing Andrea all too well.

"You are spot on, my dear," Ethan said back.

I chuckled, "Alright, well if she insists. I will help in any way that I can."

"Thanks. You know, it's really good to see you and Dean like this. Two years ago we were all afraid that you two wouldn't make it past the whole random Amazonian chick and Nate, but you did and you have twins and, you guys seem stronger than ever," Ethan started.

"Thanks, yeah I think it actually did bring us together in a better way than we thought it would. Not to say that that wasn't hard and that I wouldn't have wished it hadn't happened, but we are better together now," I smiled. "But what about you and Molly? By the way, your daughter is perfect."

"Thanks, Mer. Uh, well, with this whole surge of babies, we've been talking and-," Ethan said.

"OH my God!" I practically shrieked.

"Shhhhhh! No one is supposed to know yet but we're trying to get pregnant again," Ethan said, quietly.

I smiled, "Aw, Ethan!"

"We're kind of hoping for a girl again. I don't know, I just think it'd be nice for Renee to have a little sister. Plus, I think we have enough boys thanks to your family," Ethan teased.

I laughed a little, rolling my eyes playfully, "Okay just because I have three sons-!"

"I'm kidding! If it is a boy, we'll be equally happy," Ethan said.

I nodded slowly, "Hey, since when did we get all grown up?"

"I have no idea," Ethan chuckled.

Just then, the timer went off. I drained the spaghetti and Ethan finished with the marinara sauce.

"Mama, need any help?" Jude asked, coming into the kitchen.

"Sure. Why don't you go get your dad and make him set the table with you?" I suggested.

"Okay," Jude said, running out of the kitchen. Ethan chuckled.

"What?" I asked, giving him a look.

"Nothing. It's just funny because we all know that Dean will do it. Wacha! Whipped," Ethan teased.

"I do not!" I protested.

"You totally do," Ethan argued back, playfully.

"Yeah, I guess it's probably because of all the great sex we have," I teased, knowing that whenever I talked about Dean and I's sex life, Ethan freaked out.

"Ahhh, gross, Mer! I did not need to know that at all! Ahh, I think my ears are going to start bleeding. What have you done to me? Dying!" Ethan said, jokingly gasping for air.

I rolled my eyes, jokingly, "See? Now you know what it feels like to be terribly uncomfortable."

"You're mean," Ethan said, hitting me playfully.

"No, I'm not. That was payback," I said, shoving him playfully.

"Children," Dean warned, jokingly, coming into the kitchen.

"Hi, you," I said, going over to Dean and wrapping my arms around his neck, kissing him once.

"She started it," Ethan said.

"Did not," I replied. I looked at Dean, shrugging innocently.

"I uh-, I'm going to have to go with Mer on this one," Dean said.

I laughed, "Hey, can you go out and tell everyone that dinner's ready?"

"Yeah," Dean said, kissing me once more, before going out of the kitchen.

"Wacha, whipped!" Ethan mouthed at me and I gave him a sign to cut it out, before going over to the sink to get the drained spaghetti and put it in a giant bowl for the family. I had missed Ethan and I's antics, but this was definitely good for us – just to spend time together cooking and being the dorks that we were.

We brought everything out onto the table and everyone began eating. I looked around the table and smiled to myself. This was my family. I wasn't quite sure that it would ever be possible to have this perfect apple pie thing going, but here we were. Sam looked so happy with Sawyer and his son and daughter and Dean and I had a full family now.

* * *

><p>Molly and I sat in the hot tub that was on the deck of the house, just enjoying the warm water. The kids had all gone to bed and we were drinking a glass of wine.<p>

"Hey, mind if I join you guys?" Sawyer asked, coming over to the hot tub.

"Of course not. Come on in," I encouraged.

"Do you want a glass of wine?" Molly asked.

"Ooh, sure that'd be great," Sawyer smiled. She dropped her towel and climbed into the hot tub.

"Cute bathing suit," Molly replied.

"Thanks. Have you ever thought about doing a swimwear collection because if so, I'd definitely wear it," Sawyer asked.

"Nope. For now, at least. Maybe I'll change my mind. I guess we'll see," Molly replied.

"This is so nice. We just get to sit here, relax, unwind… motherhood is so much work," I sighed in pure bliss, letting the hot water relax me completely.

"Amen to that," Molly laughed.

"Agreed," Sawyer added.

"What're the guys doing anyways?" Molly asked.

"I think they're in there watching some show. I have no idea what they do in their spare time," I replied, not even caring since I was so relaxed.

"Well, they're missing out," Molly said.

"Yes. They are definitely missing out," I chuckled.

"Well, that and three hot women in bikinis," Sawyer added, jokingly.

We all laughed at Sawyer's little comment.

"Thanks for inviting us here, Sawyer," Molly said.

"Yeah, thanks Sawyer," I said too. "I've forgotten how much I missed the beach. I mean, just the sound of the waves out there is gorgeous enough. This was definitely worth the super long road trip."

"I agree. So San Diego is far from Sioux Falls? I say we come here all the time," Molly smiled, happily.

"It's no problem at all, you guys. Aw, Mer, it looks like you're in desperate need for some relaxation time," Sawyer chuckled.

"I am. When I'm not working, I come home to children. I mean, I love my kids, don't get me wrong, but sometimes, a girl just needs some peace and quiet. It's sweet that Dean takes the twins out for a drive sometimes when he knows I'm in desperate need for sleep," I sighed.

"Oh, yeah, you told me about that. Dean is such a great husband," Molly replied.

"Speaking of husbands, how are yours?" I asked.

"Oh, did you guys like the iPod playlist that Sam made you?" Sawyer asked.

"yeah it really works apparently. I caught Dean listening to Boyce Avenue the other day. Fast Car, and don't get me wrong, I love that song, it was just funny seeing Dean love it too," I chuckled.

"Of course. He would," Sawyer laughed.

I listened to the waves crashing against each other. This trip had been a great idea because I couldn't feel any happier that I was right now.

LINEBREAK

"Can we go out now, Mama?" John asked, in his swim trunks.

I laughed, "Yeah, let's just put some sunscreen on you, okay? And then we'll wait for your Daddy." I rubbed some sun screen on my hands and rubbed it onto John.

"Mama, sunscreen's kinda cold sometimes," John said.

"I know, but I'm trying to warm it up for you. It's going to protect you from getting a sunburn though and those are no fun," I said back.

"Did Jude have to put any on?" John asked.

"Yeah, he did," I replied. Jude had gone down to the beach with Sam and Sawyer earlier this morning and they had been there ever since.

"You ready to go, buddy?" Dean asked, coming down the steps, holding Victoria in his arms.

"Yeah, can we go now?" John asked. I finished rubbing the suntan lotion on John and closed the sunscreen up.

"Yep, go ahead with your dad. I'll go get Flynn and meet you down there," I said.

"Okay. Thank you, Mama. Let's go, let's go, let's go!" John cheered, enthusiastically.

"Alright, buddy. We're going to head out right now. Can you get your towel?" Dean asked.

"Right here!" John said, eagerly, picking up his towel that he had dropped on the floor.

"Go ahead. The boy can't contain himself. I'll meet you down there," I said to Dean.

"Alright babe," Dean smiled, leaving a small kiss on my lips before taking John and Victoria down to the beach where the rest of the family already was. I went up to the room where Flynn was asleep. He stirred, almost as if he knew I was there.

"Hey, buddy. Do you want to go the beach this morning? We should probably go before it gets too hot outside and everybody is already there," I said, ticking his stomach a little.

Flynn blinked a couple of times and then looked up at me. He had a small frown on his face and I was afraid that he'd start crying, but he didn't. He stretched out a little and smiled, feeling safe to pick him up.

"How about we feed you before we go to the beach, huh?" I proposed.

Flynn attempted to clasp his arms around my neck, as I held him. I smiled down at the baby in my arms, "You're just too perfect, aren't you?"

Finally, we got down to the beach with the rest of everyone else. Renee and John were building a sandcastle, but Cole kept stepping on it on accident. Sawyer was sitting on a towel with Haley, while Haley looked around, mesmerized by the beauty of the beach. Dean was sitting with Victoria on his towel, talking to Sam, right next to him. Jude had gone in the water with Molly and Ethan and they were all just splashing around. I lay out my towel next to Dean, and sat down, sitting Flynn in my lap.

"It's about time," Dean teased.

"He was a hungry," I replied.

"I see," Dean replied.

I took Flynn off of my lap and just lay down on the towel. Flynn looked curiously around the beach. He crawled over to the edge of the towel, not daring to step off of it yet, but grabbed a handful of sand, grabbing it in his fist and watching as some of it slipped through his fingers. I lay down, on my side, watching him.

"What're you doing, buddy? That's sand. It's kinda funny, right? It gets all sticky to you though, so be careful," I said to him. Dean looked over at us.

Flynn grabbed another handful of the sand and watched as it slipped through his fingers, laughing, his eyes wide and happy. I giggled at my son and he crawled back over towards me.

"What is it? What do you want?" I asked, playfully. He began to crawl over me, placing his sandy hand on my stomach. "Oh, no buddy. You can't do that." I laughed, sitting up and picking him up with me, placing him down on the towel, right in front of me.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a little mischief maker this morning, don't we?" Dean asked.

"Apparently so," I replied.

"Why don't you go get in the water? I'll take Flynn for you," Dean suggested.

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, I got in earlier," Dean replied.

"Okay," I said. Dean took Flynn, placing him right next to his twin sister and I stood up. I turned around to look at Dean. "You just want me to take this beach cover up off, don't you?" I eyed him playfully suspicious.

"Yeah," Dean said, bluntly.

I laughed and I saw Sam laughing at shaking his head at his brother.

"Mkay," I smirked, pulling my beach cover up over my head and setting it down next to my towel. I could feel Dean's eyes on me the whole time. I looked back at him and his eyebrows were raised, a smirk on his face.

"Dude, totally mine," Dean said, nudging his brother.

I rolled my eyes, "Dean, I'm not your property."

"Never said you were, babe," Dean said back.

I chuckled, walking away and heading towards the water.


	58. The Last Days of Summer

That night, after dinner, all of the excitement of today's beach adventure was beginning to dwindle down. I was helping someone clean up and Dean was sitting at the table, laughing and talking about something with Sam and Molly. I wiped my hands from washing dishes and snuck up behind Dean. I wrapped my arms around his neck before saying, "Hey, do you want to go take walk?"

Dean turned around to look at me, "Yeah, sure."

"Mkay," I smiled, letting him go as Dean got up.

"Go ahead. We'll watch the kids," Molly encouraged. I smiled a little, before feeling Dean's fingers intertwine with mine. I led Dean outside onto the balcony and the two of us walked hand in hand down the steps. Dean and I slipped our shoes of at the end of the steps, before heading out to the beach.

"It's beautiful out here," I sighed, happily, enjoying the warm wind that seemed to engulf me as Dean and I began to walk on the beach.

"Yeah, it is. And you sure as hell look beautiful out here," Dean said.

I shot him a funny look, "Dean, what's with the chick flick-y compliments?"

"Nothing," Dean shrugged.

"Uh uh. No, you're up to something. Are you trying to get laid again?" I asked, suspiciously.

"Mer," Dean groaned.

"I'm kidding. Come here," I said, stopping him and pulling him into my arms. I had to stand on my tip toes as I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held me close to him as well. "I love you, Dean. I know we haven't really had time for this kind of stuff so I figured we'd at least do some of it now, with the house full of parents back there. Kids are… time consuming, huh?"

"No shit," Dean said. "I love you."

"Hey, can we talk about something?" I asked, anxiously.

"Yeah, shoot," Dean replied.

"I've been thinking about it so much lately and I know shouldn't be but I am. It's just, Jude is seven now. I think it's time to teach him a couple of things, you know, other than the basics," I started, hoping that Dean would pick up on my hint.

"Like how to shoot a gun?" Dean asked me.

I nodded slowly, "Yeah, like that kind of stuff. I'm not saying that we should take him out on hunts. I think it's way too soon for that. I think we should save that for maybe his teenage years if he's ready by then, but I do think we should start him now. Not just the simple protect stuff but how to really defend himself, you know?"

"Yeah, I do. I mean, I wish we didn't have to but, I think you're right. God, that's terrifying," Dean said.

"So much for a romantic, long walk on the beach, huh?" I said, half joking.

"Yeah, thanks babe," Dean replied, sarcastically.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Kidding," Dean said.

I giggled, "Well, how about this? You and I just walk, and… we won't say a thing. No hunting talk, not even sexy talk, just nothing."

"Not even sexy talk?" Dean pouted.

"No! No sexy talk! We can do that later," I replied.

"Mm," Dean sounded, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I laughed, "We'll just walk and… and be with each other without having to think about silly things like hunting or worry about our children or even sexy talk."I gave Dean's hand a small squeeze as we continued to walk along the beach. I took a deep breath, letting the fresh, crisp air fill my nose. The sound of the waves was breathtaking. I loved the beach.

"Not even sexy talk?" Dean asked, after several moments of silence.

"Dean, you just ruined the silence!" I exclaimed, nudging him playfully.

"Well, if you want to do silence and sexy talk… I can think of a way," Dean smirked.

"Oh yeah?" I asked back.

"Yeah," Dean said, stopping us, and leaning down to kiss me. I crashed my lips against his, happy to engage in wordless sexy talk. Dean slid one of his arms around my waist, pulling me in closer to him. I giggled a little, before we kissed again… We continued our make out on the beach for what seemed like forever until I finally pulled away. "How was that for wordless sexy talk?"

"It was nice," I replied.

"Just nice?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know what I mean," I replied.

"I don't, actually," Dean smirked.

I sighed, "Dean, if this is one of your attempts to get me to tell you what great of a kisser you are or how great you are in bed, it's not going to work this time."

"But you just said-," Dean started.

"No," I giggled. "No, I did not. I was just using that as an example to-, you know what? And besides, if anyone should take credit for you being good in bed, it should be me! I was your first, so anyone right after me has me to thank for." I jokingly bragged.

"We did have great sex back then," Dean smirked. "But if you get to take credit for my skills in the bedroom, I'm so taking credit for yours."

"Hey, remember when you told Stephen that we had had sex?" I asked, teasingly.

"Oh God, you're really going to bring that up again?" Dean groaned.

"Just sayin'," I shrugged, cheekily. "Stephen… if we were to see him ever again. That'd be interesting."

"And by interesting you mean that I'd beat the shit out of him? There is no way that I'd let that creep come near our family," Dean said.

"Family… family… oh my God, you're a genius, Dean!" I exclaimed.

"What'd I do?" Dean asked back, kinda freaked out.

"That's it! I think I've found a way to make this whole hunting thing less…well, less awful than it actually is. What if… what if we created some kind of headquarters, you know? Like this great hunting headquarters and we trained our kids but it'd kinda be like going to the gym. Less… harsh. I don't know, I can't really explain it but it'd be nice. You know that thing you used to say, 'the family that slays together, stays together?' It'd be like a bonding experience, I guess," I said.

"You know, my dad only said that to convince us to keep hunting," Dean said back.

"I know, but don't think you he meant at least some of it?" I asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Dean replied, thinking it over.

"What?" I asked, recognizing that look on his face.

"Nothing, I think the hunting headquarters thingy is a great idea. Let's do it," Dean replied.

"Oh come on, Dean," I urged.

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"You've got that look," I pointed out.

"What look?" Dean asked, innocently.

"That look when you're thinking about something that you really want to talk about, but you don't want to talk about it because you know you'll get all emotional about it," I replied. Dean sighed, choosing his words carefully.

"I'm just thinking about Dad, you know?" Dean asked.

"What about him?" I asked back.

"I don't know… just about… I mean, I spent most of my life idolizing him only to see that after he died that he wasn't perfect, but now when I look at everything, he really did everything that he did to protect me and Sammy," Dean vented.

"You guys meant everything to him," I said.

"That's easy for you to say. Our dad opened up to you in a way that he didn't to us. You guys would have those… porch talks," Dean said back, a little frustrated.

"I guess I have that affect on Winchester men," I replied, light heartedly, attempting to liven up the mood just so Dean wouldn't get into that place where he started dwelling on all of the negativity again.

Dean chuckled a little, "I don't want it to get that bad to the point where I'm making decisions for our kids like that to the point where they either can't see my flaws or see them so much that they walk out like Sam did."

"Dean, that won't happen," I reasoned.

"How do you know?" Dean asked back.

"Because if it does, you know that I will kick your ass," I replied.

Dean smiled, "You're kinda funny, you know that?"

"Just a little bit," I replied.

"Come on, let's keep walking. It's beautiful outside tonight," Dean encouraged, putting his arm around me as we began to walk down the beach again.

Once Dean and I got back to the beach house, the kids were all watching a movie and the volume was turned up pretty loudly. I put the twins to bed but knew that John and Jude were going to stay up with the rest of the family. As I went back downstairs, I saw everyone watching the movie but Dean. Where was he? I went to our room to find him sitting down on the bed.

"Hey, you," I said, coming into the room and shutting the door behind me.

"Hey," Dean said, smiling as soon as he saw me.

"Why aren't you out there with everyone else?" I asked, curiously.

Dean shrugged, "I don't know. I'm kind of in the mood for some alone time."

"Oh, well do you want me to leave?" I asked, softly.

"No, you can stay," Dean said, grinning mischievously. I raised one eyebrow at him. He patted the spot on the bed next to him and said, "Come sit. After all, I am your baby daddy."

I giggled, "Dean, I don't even know where to expect this to go right now…"

"Well, if you're thinking what I'm thinking…" Dean started.

"Hm, let's not get ahead of ourselves, baby daddy. I'm no mind reader, but if I know you, and I'm pretty sure that I know you pretty damn well, I figure it has something to do with this," I said, climbing onto his lap, straddling him and pressing my lips against his.

"Good thinking," Dean said, in between kissing. I smiled into the kiss before pushing him down on the bed, me on top of him. Dean smiled up at me. "How did end up with such an amazing wife?" I shrugged, answering him with another, playful, sweet kiss. The kisses started to get heavier and clothing began to come off.

"Dean, I don't think we should-, our kids are out there and-, oh my God," I moaned, as Dean kissed my neck, hitting my sweet spot and causing me to arch my back.

"Sam, Sawyer, Molly, and Ethan are all out there. The twins are asleep. We have nothing to worry about," Dean persuaded, rolling us over so that he was on top. I smiled, looking up at Dean as he tore his t-shirt over his head. Dean then began to kiss down my neck to my chest, stopping to take my bra off. He was right. The boys would be fine and the twins were asleep.

"Dean," I moaned, softly.

"Don't worry, baby. There's much more of that," Dean smirked.

* * *

><p>After an amazing hour together, spent tangled up in each other and the sheets, Dean and I took a break to go out and put our kids to bed. After that, we were right back at it again. This was what Dean and I needed. We had been so occupied lately with the kids – we had a full house now – that we didn't really have much time for each other. This was good.<p>

"Come here, you," Dean said, pulling me close to him. I snuggled up to Dean, resting my head on his chest, the sheets pulled tightly around me. Dean began to stroke my hair as we both just listened to the waves outside.

"Mm, that was good," I sighed, blissfully.

"You tired already?" Dean asked.

"No… just happy," I said, snuggling into him.

Dean chuckled, wrapping his free arm around me, giving me a tight squeeze, "I've missed that."

"I bet you have," I said, laughing a little. "You know, give me a couple of minutes and I'll be ready to go again."

"Meredith Winchester!" Dean exclaimed, jokingly perplexed.

"What? You'd think that after being married to you for eight years, I'd be able to go all night," I replied, looking up at Dean. Dean looked down at me, and grinned that charming, boyish grin of his that I could never resist.

"Mer, are you serious?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied, with a small laugh. Suddenly, I heard a weird noise. It was almost a moan and squeaking noises coming from the room right next to us.

"What is that?" I asked, almost not wanting to know.

"Oh, Sam!" we heard Sawyer yell from down the hall. Dean and I both exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Okay… what a mood killer?" I said.

"Yeah, then again, go, Sammy," Dean said back. He then banged on the wall behind us. "Hey, some of us are trying to sleep here!"

I laughed, "Dean, oh, you would. So what should we do? Try to out moan them?"

"Seriously?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" I said, shaking my head and laying my head back down against Dean's chest. I just listened to his steady heartbeat. It was comforting to me to hear it. "But I really was serious about going again."

"Even after the mood killer?" Dean asked.

"Even after the mood killer," I chuckled.

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Dean said. I laughed a little and then looked up at Dean. Dean looked back at me, our eyes meeting and we both knew that it was inevitable. Dean leaned in, kissing me and soon enough, I was on my back against. Our bodies fit together perfectly as made love to each other for the fifty bajillionth time tonight. I wanted to hold onto him forever.

* * *

><p>"Good morning," I said, overly happy the next morning as I went into the kitchen. Sawyer and Sam had already started making breakfast. "Oh my God, it's beautiful out. You know what? I have a feeling it's going to be a great day!"<p>

"Mer, don't take this the wrong way, but you happen to be in a very chipper mood this morning," Sawyer pointed out.

"Oh, yes," I giggled.

"Hello, Winchesters. Woah, it's beautiful out!" Dean said, coming into the room as well. "Good morning, babe."

"Morning," I smiled. Dean pulled me in for a slow, seductive kiss.

"Oh, get a room you two," Sawyer teased. Sam just started laughing.

"What, Sammy?" Dean asked.

"Oh come on, Dean. We all heard you last night," Sam replied.

"Hey, we weren't the only ones!" Dean said, innocently.

"Oh God," Sawyer groaned.

"No, it's cool. Look, there are two things that Winchester men are great at: hunting, and making a woman scream. I'm just glad that you came to your senses, Sammy, and decided to actually use that family trait," Dean said back.

I rolled my eyes and smacked Dean on the arm. "Ow!"

"You deserved it. That was not necessary!" I exclaimed.

"So? It's true. Right, baby?" Dean asked, smirking suggestively.

"I feel like there's no right answer to this," I said to Sawyer and Sam. They laughed.

"No, the right answer is 'yes', babe," Dean added.

"Mm. Come help me wake the twins up. They must be hungry," I encouraged, taking Dean's hand and pulling him out of the kitchen and towards the steps.

* * *

><p>The last day of the beach was bittersweet. It was so nice to be on vacation and to just relax but going back meant that it was officially time to go back home. All of the cars were loaded up and we were ready to go.<p>

"Bye beach," John said, waving.

I chuckled, "I know, you're going to miss the beach but we're going to have just as much fun at home. We can still do movie nights and we'll come back some time. How does next summer sound to you?"

"Okay. But I am going to miss the beach," John said.

"I know, sweetie. Alright, are you still going to ride with your Aunt Molly and Uncle Ethan?" I asked.

"Yeah, I told Renee, yes," John said back.

"Alright, kiddo. I'll see you when we get home," I said, kissing him on the cheek before letting him go towards Ethan and Molly's car. We couldn't all fit in the Impala so we had done some seat rearranging and John had said that he would ride in the car with Renee.

"You ready to go, babe?" Dean asked, coming up behind me and wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Yeah," I said back.

"Mkay," Dean said, leaning in for one short kiss before the two of us got into the car and drove off.

"Hey, Dad, can we listen to Led Zeppelin II?" Jude asked.

"Sure," Dean said, fumbling around for his tape. He put it into the tape deck and it began playing. I smiled, hearing the tap begin to play. "You know, this is your mom's favorite Led Zeppelin record?"

"Mhm. This is both of our favorites," Jude bragged.

"Hey, he may be a lot more like you than you think he is," Dean said to me.

"Maybe," I shrugged. I glanced back in the back seat. Jude was mouthing the words to the songs while doing some kind of activity book while the twins were both in their car seats. Flynn was asleep but Victoria was looking around, alert and aware. I smiled, seeing my family. Dean and I were going to raise these children right. Sure, they were going to learn how to hunt, but maybe that was good for them. It'd be better to keep them safe than to keep them in the dark – that would've been the worst.


	59. The Busy Family Life

"Jude has soccer practice after school and I can take him. Is there any way you could pick John up before football practice? I'll get the twins after I get Jude and we'll met you guys over there" I asked, stirring the scrambled eggs just to make sure they were evenly cooked. After a couple of seconds, I turned the stove off, knowing that they were done. I took the pan off the burner, placing it on a cooler part of the stove.

"Uh, yeah. You sure you're okay with him waiting there?" Dean asked back, getting the milk out of the refrigerator.

"Yeah, John love going and watching their daddy coach the football team. I do too," I said, whispering the last part in his ear. "Besides, Jude used to come to practice all the time with you when he was about Jude's age."

"Mm," Dean smirked. Dean took the milk and went over to the table to set it down.

"Besides, I'll be there after school after I drop Jude off so you won't have to worry. I'll watch over the kids and we'll just wait till practice ends before getting Jude," I replied, simply. I went over to the table and wrapped my arms around Dean's waist.

"Look at you, all soccer mommy and stuff," Dean said, turning around and wrapping his arms around my waist while I wrapped mine around his neck.

"I know! What has my life come to?" I asked, jokingly.

"Well, for the record, I think it's kinda hot, you being the mother of my children and everything," Dean said, leaning in for a kiss. I met his lips with mine and was pulled into one hell of a kiss.

I chuckled, "Don't you think it's a little too early for that?"

"It's never too early for that," Dean grinned. I smiled.

"Hmm," I giggled as Dean kissed my cheek and then slipped past me, going to go get bowls from the kitchen cabinets. "Oh, I fed the twins earlier and I'll let them sleep a little bit longer. I don't have a first period class to teach so I can take them over to Andrea's later."

"Wow… cute and a great father. Now I know why I married you," I joked.

"Yeah, you got lucky, babe," Dean said, holding his arms out. I giggled, rolling my eyes playfully.

"Mama! All ready to go to go!" John announced, running into the kitchen with his small backpack already strapped to his back. He had an excited look in his eyes and he was ready to go.

I laughed a little, "Alright, but before we go, come have some breakfast, first."

"Ooh, breakfast. I forgot all about that," John said.

"Yeah. You've got to eat a good breakfast so you can have an awesome day at day care with Renee," Dean added.

"You're right, Daddy," John said.

"Aren't I always?" Dean asked, before I hit him playfully. "Ow!"

"I didn't hit you that hard," I said.

"Good morning," Jude said coming into the kitchen.

"Yeah you did!" Dean declared. Jude stopped, giving the both of us a funny look. "Just remember, boys, your mom has a great right hook."

"Thanks, babe," I said, going over to the refrigerator and getting some orange juice out.

"Yeah, she's not afraid to kick a little ass sometimes," Dean said, more to me than to the boys. Dean gave me that look of 'I want you now', which was not appropriate for the time. We had to go soon and the boys were in the kitchen. Jude gasped. "What, kiddo?"

"You just said a swear!" Jude whispered, his eyes wide.

Dean coughed, "Right, um, I meant butt. She's not afraid of kicking a little… but every now and then." Dean crossed his arms over his chest uncomfortably before saying, "You boys… you can't use those words until you're a lot older. You know, like fifty years old."

John and Jude exchanged glances before laughing evily.

"Oh dear…" I sighed, giggling a little. "Come on, babe. Let's go have breakfast before we run out of time."

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

Once Meredith and the kids had left to go to school, Dean went up to the twins' room to wake them up and get them ready to go to Andrea's. Dean was surprised to find that Victoria was already awake and she wasn't crying yet.

"Hey, what're you doing up already, baby girl?" Dean asked, picking up his daughter in his arms. He cradled her, in his arms, talking to her in a soft, low, comforting voice. He smiled down at his daughter. She was beautiful.

"You know, your brothers are going to school today and Jude has soccer practice and we won't even be there. We're just letting him go by himself and knowing what's out there, that's kind of scary for us… but you know, you've got to let your kids go at some point," Dean started. "Hey, what am I doing talking to a 3 month year old about it. Ahhh screw it. I mean-…" Dean laughed. "You, though don't get to leave the house alone until you're thirty. Maybe even forty if you look anything like your mom… yeah, I don't trust those horny high schools boys."

Victoria smiled up at her dad, reaching up to touch his face.

"What, is Daddy funny?"

Victoria giggled a little. A noise came from Flynn and Dean looked over the crib to see his son beginning to wake up too.

"Yeah, I should've known it was too good to be true. You two are trouble, you know that? Trouble," Dean said.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

* * *

><p>After school, I waited around and went to Jude's soccer practice. Jude was excited to see me and wanted to make it back in time to go see his dad at football practice. I told him that we'd try to make it but we ended up spending a little time in town before getting the twins.<p>

Jude and I were walking downtown together and he had a half empty Gatorade bottle in his hands from soccer practice.

"Where are we going, Mama?" Jude asked, looking up at me curiously.

"I don't know. I just thought we could walk around a little before we went to pick up the twins," I replied.

"Okay. Hey, when we get to the café, can we get some pie?" Jude asked. I chuckled. He was so much like his father.

"Sure, sweetie. How about we get a piece of pie for you and your brother to split and then we'll get one for your daddy and I?" I suggested.

"That sounds good. And the babies can't eat it yet, right? They're too young," Jude said.

"Yep," I chuckled. "So, I see that you took off your pink shoe lace. What happened? Is Katarina not your girlfriend anymore?"

"Nope," Jude shook his head. "Mom, that was first grade! I'm in the second grade now and we're in the same class anymore."

I sighed, "Oh, your father would be so proud of you anymore."

"It was a mutual decision," Jude shrugged.

"How do you even know what mutual means?" I asked, giving him a look. The boy was only seven. I don't even think I used the word mutual when I was seven.

"You use it all the time, Mama, so I looked it up in the dictionary," Jude replied, matter-of-factly.

"Well, look at you, using words way past your age," I said.

"Thanks, Mama," Jude said, as we continued to walk. We were nearing the end of the street and I reminded Jude to look both ways before we crossed, to make sure no cars were coming. We crossed over and kept walking until something caught my eye. "Where are we, Mom?"

"Oh my God, I didn't know it was for sale. It's always been a rundown building… always…" I said, staring at the dark windows and the 'for sale' sign. It would be weird to see this place as something. I wouldn't be able to come here and sit on the roof, not that I really did that anymore but still… It was always untouched to me and now to think it would be bought. This place had practically been a safe haven for me when no one was around. I looked up towards the roof of the building, peering out so that the sun wasn't too bothersome.

"What is this place? It looks closed, Mom," Jude said.

"It's the greatest place in the world. It's always been closed, Jude," I said back.

"And you like it?" Jude asked, giving me a funny look. I laughed.

"You know, during your mommy's senior year in high school, she got really sad," I started.

"Was it because Dad left?" Jude asked back.

"Yeah, and some other things. My dad, your grandpa, well sometimes we didn't get along that well and I just needed a place to think," I replied.

"So you came to an empty building?" Jude asked, skeptically.

I chuckled, "No… well, yes. Before I tell you about this, you have to promise me that you won't follow your mom's bad example, alright?"

"I promise, Mama," Jude said, his eyes wide.

"I used to climb up there, on that fire escape against the side of the building, you see? I'd just sit up there and look over at the city and just think because sometimes, I just needed some peace of mind and some time to be somewhere by myself," I replied.

"So you came here?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I did," I replied.

"Excuse me, miss. I'm sorry, but I've got to get past you," a voice said. I turned around to see a woman in a suit, shuffling past me towards the door of this building.

"Sorry," I said, moving Jude and myself away from the door. "Actually, wait, do you own this building?"

"Yeah, my company does. We're selling it for a very low price if you're interested," the woman replied.

I took one good look at the building. This place had meant a lot to me, "You know what? I am."

"Interesting. Well, give me a call," the woman said, before handing me her business card. "I'm Gina Driver, by the way. Would you like to take a look around inside?"

Jude and I exchanged glances. I shrugged, "Why not? And uh, I'm Meredith Winchester. This is my son, Jude."

"Great," the woman replied.

She seemed eager to sell the place but then again, it was a two story old laundry mat that no one probably wanted to buy. I took Jude's hand and we walked into the building. Jude looked around skeptically. I could tell that he thought I was crazy for being so attached to this place. Even when it was a laundry mat, it was pretty lame, but I would always sneak up to the rooftop. I was surprised that I never got caught since I was here so often.

"It's not much right now but it's amazing what you could do with it. Are you thinking about starting a business or something?" the woman asked.

I shook my head, "More like an office. I uh, I'm not 100% sure yet," I lied. Right then, her phone began to ring and she picked it up.

"Hm. Alright, well go ahead and look around. I'll be outside. I just need to take this call," the woman said back.

"Come on, buddy," I encouraged.

"Where are we going?" Jude asked.

"I want to show you some place," I replied. Jude and I walked to the back and found the steps leading up the roof. I unlatched the door and we opened it, the warm hair hitting our faces as we stepped out onto the roof. I looked out on the water and just sighed. This was heaven right here… and I got to share it with my son.

"Woah," Jude said.

"What?" I asked him.

"This is so cool. I change my mind. Mama, before I thought you were kind of weird for liking this place, but now I see," Jude said.

I chuckled, "Yeah, I am weird sometimes… but with good reason. This place is beautiful."

"Mom, why are we buying this place?" Jude asked, concerned.

I sighed. It was better to be honest with him about what was happening so I said this: "You know how your dad and I said it was time to start training you to defend yourself?"

"Yeah because demons are bad?" Jude asked.

"Yes, because demons are bad," I giggled. My son always knew how to make me laugh in the middle of a serious situation, making the situation just not as bad as it seemed to be. I loved that about him and Dean could do the same thing. "Your dad and I talked about having some kind of special place that we could do that. We can teach you how to fight demons here and all of the stuff you need to know. I was thinking that we could even put in a little library. We still have some of Bobby's old books and we have a couple of our own that could stay here."

"Cool!" Jude smiled, his eyes lighting up.

"Yeah?" I asked, relieved that he liked the idea.

"Yeah, that's awesome, Mom!" Jude exclaimed.

"Hey, we should get back down there before the saleswoman comes back inside and sees that we escaped, but we'll talk about this on the way back to the café to get your brother and sister, okay?" I suggested.

"Okay," Jude complied, as we hurried back down to the space, before the saleswoman could notice that we had gone. She hopefully just thought that we were looking around, not on the rooftop.

* * *

><p>"There you are! I was wondering when you four would show up," Dean said, as Jude, me, and the twins finally showed up at practice. The twins were in the double stroller and Jude walked along side me. His eyes lit up and he grinned widely as soon as he saw his father. Jude went running towards Dean and Dean swooped him up into a hug before kneeling down next to Jude.<p>

"Did you have a nice afternoon with your mom?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. She and I went to a place. She told me about our," Jude started and then leaned into whisper, "hunting place."

"Oh did she?" Dean asked, giving me a look.

"Yeah, we found a place," Jude replied.

"Hm, well I guess I'll have to have a talk with your mom then, won't I?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, how was practice? Where's John, Daddy?" Jude asked.

"He's over there on the bleacher. How about you go sit with him and I'll talk with your mom?" Dean suggested.

"Okay, but you have to come over too," Jude requested.

"I will, buddy, in a second" Dean chuckled. "So you found a hunter's center, huh?"

"I'm just looking, I promise. Actually, it's the place I brought you on Christmas when we first got back together. You remember? You know the old rundown building that overlooks the city? Well, it's for sale," I said.

"Oh yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, and they're selling it cheap because no one wants it. It's been out of commission for years," I replied.

"Huh… you know, you may be on to something. Have I ever told you that smart women are such a turn on for me," Dean smirked.

"Come on, Winchester. Stop flirting with your wife and go over these plays with the team," Coach Reid hollered, jokingly.

"Gotta go, baby," Dean said.

"I'll see you," I said back. Dean kissed me once.

"You coming to the game Friday?" Dean asked.

"We'll all be here," I replied.

"Great," Dean grinned, before going away.

* * *

><p>An: I know updates are slow. Life is finally slowing down so I'll have a little more time to write. I hope to update "Next Generation" soon! Only two chapters left! I know... it's scary for me too :)


	60. Home Is Wherever I'm With You

Author's Note: Okay so I lied! There are actually TWO more chapter after THIS one so the last chapter should've said there are only THREE more chapters left.

Also, PLEASE listen to the son "Home" by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. The song lyrics in this chapter are from this song Happy reading!

* * *

><p>"You're right, this place is really good," I said, taking another bite of my burger.<p>

"Yeah, I've kind of missed this place. I mean, hey, I like the sleep we're getting ever since the twins started sleeping through the night, but this place is really good," Dean laughed a little.

I chuckled, "I think we're all rejoicing that they're sleeping again. Sorry, it's stopped your late night trips here. It's probably good that we came then. Besides, the boys have been so curious as to where you've been sneaking off to in the late hours of the night."

"Yeah, Daddy," Jude added. "This place is so cool!"

"You want rest of my fries?" John offered to his older brother. He pushed his almost empty basket towards his brother, with only a couple of fries left in it.

"No, I already ate all of mine and now I'm full," Jude replied simply. "Thanks though."

"They're so cute," I whispered.

"Pshh… my boys are not cute! They are very studly men," Dean denied. I laughed.

"Dean, they're seven and three," I reminded.

"Right. Well, they will be very studly men when they get to that age. On the other hand, I think I'm still allowed to say that about the twins seeing as they're only, what, five months old now?" Dean said.

"Dean, I don't think there are any rules on that kinda stuff," I chuckled. Dean shrugged simply, before taking another sip from his coke.

"Hey, Daddy, can I have some money to go change the song on the jukebox?" Jude asked.

"Sure, but make sure it's a good one," Dean replied, handing his son two quarters.

"Thanks, Dad," Jude said, getting up out of the booth and hurrying over to the jukebox. I chuckled, watching him go. He really was so much like his father.

"This is a pretty good way to spend a Friday night, huh?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I like it," I said, my foot brushing past Dean's under the table. He smiled at me, wiggling his eyebrows once, suggestively. I rolled my eyes. "Dean, that's not what I was going for."

"Oh, because it was totally what I was going for," Dean smirked.

I giggled, "We will talk about this later."

"Talk about what?" John asked, curiously, looking up at us with his big green, innocent eyes.

"Nothing, sweetie. Hey, I'll finish your French fries since your brother doesn't want them," I said, quickly changing the subject. I glanced over at Dean and he was just cracking up on the opposite side of the booth. I mean, it wasn't like we were actually going to tell John about what we were talking about. We shouldn't have even brought it up in front of him. It wasn't exactly appropriate… Oops…

Jude returned to the table and "Smoke on the Water" started playing. Jude climbed back into the booth and Dean high fived him, "Nice, buddy! Good pick."

"Thanks, Dad," Jude said, high fiving his dad back.

"You know, your dad used to sing this to you when you were a baby?" I started.

"You did?" Jude asked.

"Yeah. Guess that's why you ended up with such good taste in music," Dean bragged. I kicked him under the table. "Ow!"

"I didn't kick you that hard," I said.

"Well, when your mom was hitting me for saying things, she used to sing "Hey, Jude" to you," Dean replied.

"I remember that. I like that song because it has my name in it," Jude smiled.

"Hey, are there any songs with my name in it?" John asked.

"Hm… "Not Now John" by Pink Floyd," I answered. "But you're not allowed to listen to that song until you're older, okay?"

"How come?" John asked.

"There are some bad words in it, buddy, that your mom and I don't think you should hear when you're only three years old," Dean replied.

"But three years is a long time! I'm really old, see?" John asked, hopeful.

I chuckled, "Maybe when you get even older."

"Hey, let's not even go there. You two are growing up on me a lot faster than I thought you would," Dean said. I shot him a funny look. Usually it was me that was afraid of our kids growing up too quickly but now it was Dean. It was amazing to see him as a parent. He was such a good father and to think that seven or so years ago, we never thought we'd have any of this. Yet, here we were, taking care of a family together. I took one look at Dean and knew that I'd never let him go.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, just take that out to table three. Sorry, Meredith. You were saying?" Andrea asked.<p>

"Oh, it's no problem. I can see that you guys are busy this morning. I wish I could help but we're still fixing up the center," I replied. I looked around the busy café. "Andrea, I wouldn't have asked you to watch the twins if I had known it was going to be this busy."

"Don't worry about that! The twins are fine along with Haley. They're all upstairs and I have the baby monitor right here with me," Andrea said, motioning to the baby monitor that was stuffed into one of the pockets of her café apron. I chuckled. "Don't you worry about them at all. Now go build your hunting center and enjoy the time with your husband."

I chuckled, "Thanks, Andrea. By the way, we wish you could've stopped by at some point this week. It could use a better eye on the paint job. I know you fixed up this café all by yourself."

"Oh, I wish I could be there too. I'd like to stop by sometime this week if the work permits. You and I both know that I have two jobs: one at the café, and one as a grandmother to all of your children. Sometimes I wonder when the kids are ever going to stop. Not that I'm complaining, but I've gained seven grandchildren in the past seven years with you, Dean, my own son, and Sam," Andrea replied.

"Hahaha oh God… Now that I think about it, we really have been giving you tons of grandchildren," I chuckled. "But as for the center, please stop by soon. It's looking great already and we would love it. We painted yesterday so now all we need to do is assemble and move things in."

"I guess I will have to stop by. So what're you and Molly doing here then?" Andrea asked.

I chuckled, "We're just picking up coffee orders for everyone."

"I see. Well, what'll it be then?" Andrea asked. I ordered the coffee and then Andrea and I just sat and talked awhile until Molly got back from the bathroom.

"Hey, you. You alright?" Andrea asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Molly replied, almost too quickly.

I looked from Andrea and Molly and Andrea smiled a little before saying, "You're coffee orders should be up any time soon. I don't know what's taking them this long… How about I go check and leave you two alone."

"That was weird," I said.

"What?" Molly asked, innocently.

"Andrea just left… really quickly. Didn't you just see that?" I asked back.

"Well, maybe she really was concerned about our coffee orders," Molly shrugged. I gave her a weird look before I felt my cell phone vibrate. I picked up the phone and opened the text message that Dean had sent me. "Who's that?"

"Oh, it's just Dean asking about the twins," I replied. Molly was not getting off the hook this easily.

"Aw, that's sweet. Dean is such a great dad. You guys are so lucky. You have that big family you always wanted, Mer," Molly smiled.

"Thanks, Molls… speaking of families, how are you, Ethan, and Renee?" I asked.

"We're good. Things are a lot easier with Renee in day care now but Ethan and I are still finding time to be together… God, I can't imagine what it must be like to have four kids. One is already enough work!" Molly said.

I shrugged, "It's… stressful. You worry about them and… you know, sometimes, I just want to lock them up forever and home school them. I wouldn't have to worry about anyone or anything trying to hurt them."

"Yeah, that's my plan," Molly said. Wait, what? I mean, she could just be talking about Renee but we were on the topic of big families. "You know, in the way future when I need a plan and have to deal with multiple… kids…"

"Are you pregnant, Molly? Wait, is that why Andrea was acting so weird?" I asked, my jaw dropped.

"Busted," she said, laughing a little.

"Oh my God, why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my eyes lighting up.

"I wanted to, but Ethan wanted to wait, you know, just in case something happened. I'm only six weeks along, Mer, but… I'm pregnant!" she exclaimed, laughing.

"You're pregnant!" I exclaimed back, pulling her into a hug. "Oh my God, congratulations, Molly. Yes, it's a lot of work and stress but it's so worth it. I promise you."

"Ethan and I were talking one night and just thinking about our family and decided that we wanted to have another kid and well, here I am. I hope that he or she will end up as close as Renee is with John," Molly smiled.

"You know, I think they're going to get married one day," I said, randomly.

"The funny thing is, I completely agree with you," Molly said back. The two of us exchanged glances before bursting into laughter again.

Back at the empty loft space that we were converting into our hunters' headquarters/center thingy, I found Ethan assembling a bookcase in the room we were going to use as our study or library. Molly had gone back to what she was doing and handed out coffee to everyone. I crept into the study with Ethan's coffee cup and stood there.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Ethan said, looking at me and turning of the drill he was using to screw the bookshelf together.

"Here's your coffee," I said back.

"Thanks," Ethan said, taking it and setting it beside him. The silence was killing me and I couldn't wait any longer.

After a bit of a silence, I finally said, "So Molly told me about the baby! Congratulations! I'm sorry. I know I wasn't supposed to know yet but I couldn't wait."

"She wasn't supposed to tell anyone!" Ethan exclaimed, with a small laugh following.

"I know, I know but I kind of got it out of her so you can't blame her. You know I have my ways. It's in the eyes!" I joked.

Ethan laughed, "Yeah, you do. Remember in high school when mom found a joint in my room and you took the blame for it? But after like, two days I fessed up and told her it was me. I don't know! It's just that look you get… Damn it… it's almost as bad as Sam's puppy dog look."

"Oh that one gets me every time!" I exclaimed. Ethan and I shared a laugh. "I think it's really great that you guys are having another kid. Hey, what is she doing here then? Shouldn't she be far away from you know… asbestos and power tools?"

"Mer, I don't think this place is asbestos heavy and besides, I'm not crazy over protective like your husband so yes, she is here, helping us out just like she would be if she wasn't pregnant," Ethan teased.

"Touché. Dean can be a bit stubborn when-," I started.

"A bit?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do I need to remind you about bed rest?"

"Fine, a lot, but he gets worried a lot," I replied.

Ethan chuckled, "I guess I can't blame him, with the things he's seen. It's also reassuring to know that he cares so much. Gotta make sure my best friend is in good hands!"

I laughed, "Ethan, I thought we were past that!"

Ethan shrugged, "Maybe we are, maybe we're not."

"Oh, you suck!" I declared.

"I think I'm just being a good best friend. You on the other hand happened to blindly trust Molly. What would've happened if she had just broken my heart into a million pieces? Who's fault would that have been? Yours!" Ethan teased.

"Would not!" I argued back.

"Would too. You're supposed to do that whole best friend check thingy," Ethan said.

I laughed, "I guess so but she's my best friend too so I knew that you two would be in good hands."

"Point taken," Ethan nodded.

"Can you believe that we're here all married with kids and stuff? It feels like just yesterday you were dating Lacey and I still had the biggest, in my mind, unrequited crush on Dean," I asked, reminiscing.

"Those were the days, huh? I remember the first time you came into that café and told me and Mom that you and Dean kissed. You were so freaked out and you wouldn't go home because you were afraid of what he'd say if you went back and he either said it was a mistake or even worse, he returned the feelings," Ethan chuckled.

"Hah, 'even worse' happened…" I giggled.

"Hey, you remember the time capsule we buried when we were eleven? It was mom's birthday and we decided to bury one so that we could open it in the future and see what we were like back then," Ethan asked.

"Oh my God, yes! The one we buried right behind the café? Wait, I thought we said it was for the aliens in the future," I asked.

"Oh, I forgot about that!" Ethan laughed. "Hey, you know, I think it'll be twenty five years this year since we buried it."

"You're right. You thinking what I'm thinking?" I asked, looking over at Ethan mischievously.

"You want to open it?" Ethan asked back, a just as mischievous smile on his face.

"Hell, yeah, I want to open it!" I declared.

"Alright. How about we make a deal? This year on Mom's 60th birthday, we dig up that time capsule and open it but no peeking until that day," Ethan said.

I nodded, "Fair enough. Pinky swear?"

"Pinky swear," Ethan laughed. "Hey, that's where Jude gets it from! You and Dean are teaching him the funniest things. Hey, come help me put up this book case?"

"Sure," I said. I got up from my seated position on the floor and helped Ethan haul the bookcase up, propping it up against the wall. We stood back, looking at it. "Nice work, dude." I offered out my fist for a fist bump.

"Thanks," Ethan replied, fist bumping me. We both chuckled and took sips of our coffee.

Later that day, everyone else was finishing up out there and I was beginning to fill the bookshelf in the study with the books. I kept getting distracted because I kept looking at them. I ran my hands over the delicate pages. This had been one of Bobby's books. God I missed him so much… Sometimes, I could feel him with me.

"I miss you, Bobby," I whispered, trying not to get all emotional right now, but it was hard not to. I could hear the loud noises outside. People were done with the power tools and now we were cleaning up and organizing. I could hear Jude and John playing a game of tag and Sawyer was talking to Cole. Renee was upstairs, doing some doodling. My family was all here. It was nice that this place was bringing us all together like this. I was glad that everyone chipped in to help.

I wished Bobby could be here. He would've loved an idea like this. I sniffled a little, trying not to dwell too much on Bobby. Some days, everything was fine and I didn't think about Bobby a lot and other days I felt empty. I missed him so much. The man had been a father to me and he was gone… He never got to meet the twins…

_"Man, oh man, you're my best friend/ I scream it to the nothingness/There ain't nothing that I need…"_

"Need any help?" I heard a voice ask. I turned around and smiled as soon as I saw Dean.

"Yeah, you think you could help me shelve these?" I asked, gesturing towards the box on the floor.

"Yeah, you alright?" Dean asked, coming over towards me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, straightening up.

"Okay. You know, it's nice to get away from all the loud noise out there. Our family is…" Dean started.

"Loud?" I offered up.

"Yeah," Dean chuckled.

"I can't say that I mind but yeah, it is nice to get away from all of it. Then again, I can't exactly say anything. I'm always loud," I giggled a little.

"What? You, loud? Never!" Dean said, sarcastically.

I laughed, rolling my eyes playfully, "Yeah, alright Dean."

"Hey, I'm not saying anything. I love it when you're loud, baby," Dean smirked.

"Oh, we just had to go there, didn't we?" I asked, shooting Dean a look.

"What? It lets me know what I'm doing right," Dean winked.

I giggled, "Well, what do you think about me letting you know what you do right tonight?"

Dean smirked, "I think I love the idea."

"Good, me too, because Jude is going over to Andre's tonight and Andrea said that she'd watch over John for the night if we wanted her too, though I already feel bad because she's been watching the twins all day. The twins have been sleeping so well lately and I thought maybe you and I could cook dinner together and you know… just spend some time together alone for once," I suggested.

"Hm, this seems to be working out perfectly. Meredith Winchester, did you plan for this to happen?" Dean asked.

I giggled, "I wish. Things just happened to fall into place."

"Well, I'll have to thank fate or whatever it was that is allowing us to have tonight together because I am so getting laid tonight," Dean said, wrapping his arms around me.

"Hey, don't push your luck," I teased, stopping him as he leaned in to kiss me.

"You're such a tease, Mer," Dean groaned.

"Come here," I said, rolling my eyes and pulling him in by the shirt before crashing my lips against his in a long, passionate kiss. Dean kissed me back but I pulled away. "Hey, we should finish shelving these books."

"Tease," Dean growled.

I laughed, "I'm surprised that you even have to say anything. You'd think that after being married to me for almost eight years that you'd know by now."

"Eight years, huh?" Dean asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"_Ah, home. Let me go home/Home is wherever I'm with you…"_


	61. Faithfully

**Author's Note:**Alright guys… one more chapter left. I'm getting butterflies just thinking about it, believe me. This chapter is quite mushy but I had fun writing it. I hope you enjoy it. Warning: there is a sex scene in this one but I felt like Meredith and Dean needed one last sexy scene before the story came to an end. Ugh… end… I hate that word.

PLEASE listen to "Faithfully" by Boyce Avenue. I love the Journey version, but the Boyce Avenue cover really sets the mood for this chapter and it felt kinda perfect. The lyrics in the chapter are the lyrics from the song. Happy reading!

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><p>"<em>Highway runInto the midnight sun/Wheels go round and round/You're on my __mind/You're on my mind/Restless hearts/Sleep alone tonight/Sending all my love/Along the wire…"_

"Not that I have anything to worry about, but you make sure you're on your best behavior, okay son?" Dean reminded, as we were dropping him off at Andre's house for the evening.

"I will, Dad," Jude groaned.

"Alright, if you need anything, call us," I said to him.

"Jude is always a pleasure to have over and is never difficult. You two go and enjoy your evening together," Andre's mom, Krista said.

"Alright, alright. We'll leave you alone, kiddo," I chuckled.

"Make sure you eat well. You know… that green stuff. Your broccoli, whatever vegetables they give you," Dean reminded. I laughed, giving my husband's hand a tight squeeze.

"Dad, you're weird," Jude said, making a funny face at his dad.

"Come on, babe. Let's head out," I said.

"Alirght, bye, kiddo," Dean said, finally parting with his son. Dean and I got in the car and finally left. We had already dropped John off at the café and he was excited about getting to stay with his Grandma tonight. He loved being able to stay up late and see all the different people. At age three, he already loved talking to random people in the café. I could tell he was going to be a social one…

Once we got back to the house, we have the twins a bottle. I took Victoria and he took Flynn. Our plan was to have them asleep around seven thirty but who knew if it would actually work. I took Victoria up to the nursery and I read her a story. Dean was downstairs somewhere.

"_They say that the road/Ain't no place to start a family/Right down the line/It's been you and me/And lovin' a music man/Ain't always what it's supposed to be/Oh, girl, you stand by me/I'm forever yours/Faithfully…"_

Once, I finally got her to sleep, I went downstairs and found Dean fast asleep on the couch, Flynn lying on his chest. I chuckled, seeing the two. Both Dean and Flynn looked so peaceful. I didn't want to wake them up. I'd leave Dean asleep and hope that Flynn was stay asleep if I took him up to the nursery. I picked Flynn up in my arms. Flynn started to stir and make a couple of gurgly noises.

"Shh, no it's okay. I'm just going to take you up stairs so you can go to sleep and let your Daddy sleep," I whispered to him.

"Where's Flynn?" Dean asked, jolting up.

I laughed hysterically at Dean's reaction, "I've got him, babe. You fell asleep. You both did."

"Oh," Dean said, running a hand through his short hair.

"I'm just gonna-," I started.

"No, it's okay, I've got him," Dean said, getting up and taking Flynn from me. "I'll be back down in a minute." Dean leaned in, kissing me once before going off with Flynn. "Oh no, don't wake up! Shh, it's okay. You're just going to go back upstairs and back to sleep. Be good. Daddy's getting laid tonight."

"I heard that!" I called after Dean, rolling my eyes and his little comment. Then again, I did suggest our date tonight so I had it coming.

Once Dean had gone upstairs, I went to the kitchen and started on dinner. I was going to make baked chicken with rice pilaf. I got out the nice bottle of wine and began cooking. In a matter of minutes, Dean had come into the kitchen.

"Need help with anything?"

"Yeah, do you think you could put the chicken in the oven and start the rice pilaf?" I asked.

"Sure," Dean said. I hummed to myself as we continued to cook simultaneously. Dean and I didn't say much and we didn't need to say much. I just enjoyed the time with him and I also enjoyed the quiet, which was nice for a change.

"Can you pass me the wooden spoon?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, sure, babe," I said, handing him the spoon.

"Thanks," Dean said, before mixing the rice. I stood back and looked at him. A while ago, I would've never imagined him here. Dean never cooked, but yet, he was here cooking, with a family. It was really amazing how we had gotten here.

When dinner was done, Dean and I plated the food and sat down at the table to a nice, simple dinner. I brought the nice bottle of wine over and poured us a glass.

"Mm, good. You know, you're getting to be a great cook," I started.

"You think?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. We have progressed past dino nuggets and pasta," I replied.

"Ooh, dino nuggets. Those things are the best!" Dean exclaimed.

I laughed, "Those are actually really good… Is that bad?"

"No, I just said they were the best!" Dean shrugged.

"I'm not going to lie. I still love kid food. Like mac and cheese. That's the greatest and you feel like even more of a kid if you get that gross Kraft macaroni stuff," I said.

"Oh, Sammy and I used to live on that stuff when were on the road. Dad would go out on another hunt and I'd be in charge of cooking. Most nights we'd have cereal or a bag of chips… or a burger, but sometimes I'd even be in the mood to make him some Kraft macaroni," Dean chuckled. I laughed.

"Oh, how kind of you," I teased, sarcastically. "You could've brought me along. I would've made Kraft macaroni for you ever night."

Dean smiled that charming, lopsided smile of his, "I wish I could've brought you along with me. You know I do."

"I know," I said, comfortingly.

"What do you think your dad would say if he was still here?" Dean asked.

I thought about it for a moment before saying, "I think he would've had a fight, especially when you asked me to marry you. But I would like to think that eventually, he would've come around to the idea and started to finally get along with you. I think he would've been so happy about having grandchildren… of course, with Jude, the timing kind of sucked, but I'd like to think he'd be happy for us."

"Yeah, me too," Dean said.

"I think your dad would've been really happy. I mean, we got the demon that killed your mom. There would be no reason for him to want to keep you guys hunting," I added.

"I think Dad would've loved our kids too…" Dean said again.

"You know, what do you think would've happened if I had ended up going hunting with you guys after high school? I mean, if my dad was there to "intervene"," I said, putting air quotes around the word intervene. Dean chuckled.

"Mer, I wouldn't want to do that to you," he started.

"And you didn't. Now let's just talk about 'what if'," I said.

"Okay," he said, before coughing up. "Um… alright, so say you joined us after you graduated high school. Hm… well, we'd just be going from town to town every other week. You and I could be alone while Dad was on a hunt and Sammy was at school and you know what that means."

I laughed, "And I'd make you guys dino nuggets and mac and cheese every night!"

"Ooh, you spoil me, Mrs. Winchester," Dean joked.

"Then, I'd get to go on all of your cases with you and knowing you, you'd be super protective. We'd probably get another lecture from your dad…" I continued.

"Oh don't remind me. You know, after our first hunt together, he gave me that lecture about letting our feelings get in the way?" Dean asked.

"No, you never told me that," I said.

"Well, he did. He also thought you were a damn good hunter so I'm sure that we'd get into some fights… just me being stubborn and jealous," Dean said back.

"Since when is that new?" I teased.

"Hey! I am not!" Dean protested.

I giggled, "I know, babe. I'm kidding."

"Yeah, well, if we went out to bars that night and guys started hitting on you, I'd have every right to be jealous and stubborn," Dean defended himself.

"Same goes for you too! Don't forget that I know all about your little past," I shot back, playfully.

"Meredith, I wouldn't need other girls. We'd probably end up going into the bar bathrooms or something and having lots of slutty bar sex," Dean smirked.

"Ew, those are so unsanitary!" I exclaimed.

"Fine… car sex?" Dean offered.

I smirked, "Mm, car sex. Yes, we'd have tons and tons of car sex and then we'd go back to the room and of course, your dad would know what we had done and it'd be super awkward. I still can't get the memory of him giving me the talk out of my head. It has been burned in my memory forever!"

"I still can't believe he gave you the talk. I'd think it'd be like… Andrea or maybe even Bobby. Then again, if it had been Bobby, he probably would've killed me before he could give you any kind of talk," Dean chuckled.

"Oh, Bobby would've had your head on a platter if he knew that we had had sex back then," I laughed.

"Yes, he would've," Dean agreed.

Dean and I finished a nice dinner together before cleaning up. I was washing the dishes while Dean dried them. We hadn't used enough dishes to actually start a load and figured we'd just wash them by hand tonight, since it was just us. I turned off the sink and dried my hands on a towel. Dean moved my hair from my neck, just to one side of my neck and began to leave kisses on my neck, tickling me.

"Dean," I giggled, trying to shrug him away.

"You know, you are such a great mother," Dean said in between kisses.

"And that turns you on?" I asked, skeptically, letting a small laugh escape.

"Hell, yeah, it turns me on!" Dean smirked, continuing to kiss me. Dean hit my sweet spot and he knew. I threw my head back and moaned.

"Oh, Dean," I whispered.

"I just figured since we were done with the dishes…" he trailed off.

I giggled, turning around and wrapping my arms around his neck, "Yes."

"Yeah?" Dean asked.

"Yes. Bedroom. Now," I ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean grinned. Dean grabbed my hand and we raced towards the bedroom. Once we were in the room, I shut the door and Dean pressed me up against it, kissing me hard. Dean practically tore his shirt over his head and I smirked, seeing his very toned upper body. His arms, his chest, his abs… damn… I stripped off my cardigan, throwing it to the ground as began to work at the buttons of my grey button down.

"Dean," I moaned, as he kissed down my neck, nipping and sucking in turn. Our hands explored each others' bodies, not sparing an inch of skin. Pressed against the door, I wrapped my leg around Dean's waist and he held in place as I grinded against him.

"Mer…" he moaned, breathlessly. Dean began to leave kisses on my shoulder, sliding my bra strap off. He used his skillful hands to undo my bra. I pulled my leg down and pushed Dean towards the bed, pushing him down on the bed before climbing on top of him. Before I could do anything else, Dean rolled me over so that he was on top. Dean began to leave a trail of kisses down my neck and my chest, leaving me panting.

Dean slowly slid my jean shorts and panties down my legs, returning to me by leaving tiny kisses up my legs, to my inner thighs. I gripped the sheets, anticipating what was about to happen. Dean slipped a finger into me and I gripped the sheets even tighter.

"Oh my God!" I moaned loudly. Dean crashed his lips against mine in a lust filled kisses as he added another finger, speeding up the pace.

"Call me Dean," Dean smirked against my lips.

I was too intoxicated with pleasure to come up with a witty response for that.

"Dean!" I yelled out. I could feel the pleasure building in me as he continued to speed up the pace. I thrust my hips up in rhythm with him, closing my eyes and just enjoying what this man could do with his hands. "Oh Dean… oh my God… Dean." I was breathless and gasping with pleasure as I felt myself getting closer and closer.

"That's it, baby," Dean encouraged, a satisfied smirk on his face. I was literally on edge when Dean pulled out.

"You're mean," I whimpered.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll fix it," Dean growled before quickly undoing his pants, kicking them off. He then returned to me and without warning, thrust into me. I screamed out in pleasure as Dean began to pick up the pace of his thrust. He held my body close to his as he kissed, desperate in need of each other.

"Oh, fuck!" I moaned. "M-more. I n-n-need more, Dean."

"I can't hear you, babe," Dean encouraged.

"Faster, Dean!" I managed to moan, as soon as he started to speed up. Dean grabbed my hands, placing them above my head and intertwining his fingers with mine. I wrapped my legs around his waist, forcing him to go deeper and Dean moaned loudly at the new angle. Dean sucked on his bottom lip, closing his eyes for a moment.

"Oh, shit, Mer. Oh fuck…" Dean growled. I moaned into Dean's mouth as he continued to screw me. I thrust my hips up to meet his as we both moaned loudly.

We were so close. I could feel it. I was literally on edge. I could tell that Dean was too. I squeezed his hand and then felt waves of pleasure crashing down upon me. Seconds later, Dean was there too. He and I moaned each others' names, riding our orgasms out together. Once we came down from our high, I rolled Dean over so that I was on top. I leaned down, kissing him long and slowly.

"Mer," Dean chuckled, his lips curving into a smile against mine.

"What? You really thought were done?" I asked, mischievously.

"Well-, hey, I'm not complaining. Bring it on, baby," Dean smirked.

"Will do," I giggled.

* * *

><p>"<em>Circus lifeUnder the big top world/We all need the clowns/To make us smile/Through space and time/Always another show/Wondering where I am/Lost without you…"_

After a while, Dean and I finally called it quits and just lay there in bed together, all wrapped up and tangled in the sheets. We were just talking and laughing. We had really needed tonight to be together alone. Don't get me wrong. I loved our family, but this was something we didn't get to do very often and damn, I had missed it.

"Damn, baby," Dean smirked.

"What?" I asked.

"You're are so… wow… great," Dean said. He almost seemed high but that's what sex did to Dean.

I giggled, "You weren't too bad yourself." I nudged him playfully.

"Oh please, baby. You were screaming my name," Dean said.

"I was. I won't even try to deny that one," I giggled.

"I love you, Mer," Dean mumbled, kissing the top of my head.

"I love you too," I said back, looking up at him. I was curled up to Dean, my back against his chest. He was propped up a little against the headboard of the bed and I just leaned against him. This right here just felt so right. Dean played with my left hand.

"God, your hands are tiny!" Dean exclaimed, teasingly.

"They are not! Your hands are just huge. Once again, not that I'm complaining," I smirked.

Dean chuckled, "But really though. Your hands are actually tiny. What would've happened if you had married Sammy? Your hands would've been like an eighth of the size of his."

"Well, it's a good thing I didn't marry Sam," I said.

"Yes, it is," Dean said, tensing up a little. I giggled and Dean's finger moved past the two rings I wore on my left hand ring finger: our wedding ring and my engagement ring. "Eight years, huh?"

"Yeah, eight years," I smiled, loving the idea that we had been married for eight years."

"I never thought I'd have all this growing up but we've been married for eight years, we have four kids, now all we need is a dog named spot," Dean chuckled.

"Or bingo!" I added with a small laugh.

"Oh, how white picket fence of you, Mrs. Winchester," Dean said.

"Why thank you, Mr. Winchester. I thought so myself," I said back. Dean and I exchanged glances and then laughed again. I lay against Dean's chest and just listened to his heart beat. His finger caressed the rings on my finger. "

"To think you've been Mrs. Dean Winchester for the past eight years," Dean sighed in disbelief.

"Mrs. Dean Winchester. I love that," I giggled, all happy and giddy. So chick flick right now. Just then, a timer went off.

"What was that?" Dean asked.

"Oh, it must've been the laundry machine. I forgot that I started that thing," I said, getting up.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked.

"I'm going to go put the laundry in the dryer. There's nothing better to do right now," I shrugged. Dean wiggled his eyebrows once, suggestively and I laughed. "I'll be right back, I promise." I picked up one of Dean's button downs that was still on the floor and put it on, before standing up and leaving the room. I went over to the laundry room and opened up the washer, taking the wet laundry out and putting it into the dryer.

"Need any help?" I heard Dean ask. I turned around and my eyes widened as he just stood there naked.

"I don't think I can take you seriously like that," I said, laughing.

"What? You've seen me naked before," Dean shrugged innocently. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Hey! Stop that!" I giggled as he came closer to me. I threw one of the dry articles of clothing at him, that I had taken out of the dryer and had put on top of the washing machine. The shirt fell to the floor, of course and Dean pulled me into a passionate, romantic kiss. "Dean…"

"Hey, I took a nap and I'm so up for round… four," Dean said.

I giggled, "You are so bad, you know that?"

"I know," Dean smirked, before kissing me again. He propped me up on the dryer and I smiled into the kiss as he did it. I parted my legs so that Dean could fit in between them. I giggled as Dean tickled my sides a little, working at the buttons of the button down.

"I love you, Dean," I gasped.

"I love you too," he replied. Dean entered me again, causing me to dig my nails into his back, moaning in pleasure. I was in for a long night…

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><p>"<em>And being apartAin't easy on this love affair/Two strangers learn to fall in love again/I get the joy of rediscovering you/Oh, girl, you stand by me/I'm forever yours/Faithfully…"_

I awoke to the sunlight fluttering in through the shutters. My eyes opened and I turned over to see Dean propped up on his elbow, watching me sleep. I furrowed my eyebrows, looking at him and then turning back over, hugging the sheet close to my body.

"Oh, no. Creepy," I mumbled, sleepily.

"What?" Dean asked, innocently.

"The whole watching me sleep thing. All the _Twilight_stuff? Totally misleading!" I replied, turning over on my back and facing Dean.

"Well, does it make it creepy if we're married?" Dean asked.

I pretended to think about it before saying, "I guess not. Good morning, baby."

"Morning," Dean said.

"What?" I asked as soon as I saw the look on Dean's face.

"Nothing, I just uh, wanted to say thank you for… last night and the laundry room," Dean started.

"Mm, the laundry room," I giggled, fondly remembering what happened in the laundry room.

"And then last night again," Dean laughed, holding me close to him and kissing me on the cheek. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well. Hey, do you think you could go pick John and Jude up?" I asked.

"Yeah, when do they need to be picked up?" Dean asked back.

"I think the morning would be best," I replied.

"Okay, I'll go. You stay and try to get some sleep. I kept you up last night," Dean winked.

"That you did," I chuckled, laying back in bed. As soon as Dean was gone, I got up, got dressed, and went to the twins' room. Flynn was stirring and Victoria was still asleep. I picked up Flynn in my arms and he woke, looking up at me. He smiled.

"Hey, you. Good morning," I smiled back. "Yeah, I know. Let's go get you some breakfast."

Once Dean got back, both of the twins were up and I had them sitting in the floor crib together. It was more of a play crib that we had used for both John and Jude as well that they would sit in when we were all in the kitchen cooking or something.

Jude and John ran into the kitchen, excitedly.

"Mama, Daddy said you make waffles today!" John exclaimed. Wow, my kids were loud. Guess they got that from Dean and me.

"Yeah, he did," Jude added.

"Huh. Well, it's a good thing that I started making them already," I replied. Guess they got the waffle thing from me too.

"Waffles are my favorite," Jude said.

"Nuh uh. They're my favorite!" John argued.

"Boys, they can be both of your favorites," I chuckled, intervening. "Go ahead and sit at the table. Where's your dad, by the way?"

"Right here. Honey, I'm home!" Dean yelled obnoxiously, making me laugh. He walked over to me in the kitchen and kissed me, long and sweetly. Jude and John both exchanged glances and laughed. I pulled away from Dean, smiling.

"So how were your sleepovers, boys?" I asked.

Right then, John and Jude began talking all at once. It seemed like they had such a good time. Dean shot me a small smile and the way he looked at me… he didn't need to tell me how much he loved me because that look right there said it all I blushed a little smiling back at him.

_"I'm forever yours/Ever yours/Faithfully…"_


	62. Goodbyes and Hello to New Beginnings

**Author's Note:**Well, here it is. We all knew that this day would come. I have a couple of things that I wasn't to say first. First off, I want to thank all of the lovely readers that have followed this story and have been here since the beginning. All of your reviews and comments have been very much appreciated and it's been a pleasure getting to know all of you.

Second, I hope that you continue to stay with me as I adventure off into new Supernatural, and potentially a Harry Potter story (not sure on that one yet). I have tons of new ideas and I hope that you like them just as much as you liked this one. I also hope that you'll follow the lives of their children in "Supernatural: The Next Generation". I am SOO excited to write this one

Thirdly, this has been one wicked, crazy ride. I have love love LOVED writing this story. Meredith has been my favorite original character that I've written so far and it's so hard for me to say goodbye to her. Fortunately, I do not have to. I have the spin off and I'm also going to do a series of oneshots of stories that I wanted to tell about Meredith and Dean that just never really fit or I ended up skipping that part. For example, I would have loved to write in the episode where Sam and Dean go back to save their mom, but I skipped over the fifth season in this story. I will be calling it "Mr. and Mrs. Winchester" and it'll just be a series of unrelated oneshots. Let me know what you think of the idea!

PLEASE listen to the songs built in this chapter. The beginning (before the first linebreak) is "Walk on the Ocean" by Toad and the Wet Sprocket and the second song is "Shake it Out" by Florence + the machine. I feel like the songs really set the mood so please listen to them as you read this chapter.

This story has been with me for so long that it's hard to say goodbye, but I really think it's about time I let it go, in fear that it might drag on. Honestly, it just feels like it's time… SO I have written one super duper long chapter, to say goodbye. Here we go…

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><p>"<strong>Walk on the Ocean" by Toad and the Wet Sprocket<strong>

"_We spotted the ocean head of the trail. Where are we going? So far away. Somebody told me this is the place where everything's better and everything's safe…"_

I woke up, glancing over at the clock. It was around nine. I got up to feed the twins around six and had slept for another three hours.

"Morning, baby," Dean said, rolling over on his side and wrapping one arm around me, pulling me into him.

"Morning," I giggled. I turned around so that I could face him. We smiled at each other.

"God, my wife is hot," he said.

"That's funny because my husband is damn sexy," I smirked.

"Ooh," he smiled, before rolling me over so that I was on my back. Dean leaned down and kissed me, long and hard.

"Good morning," I said, pulling away. Dean and I exchanged glances before laughing.

"So… any chance you want to spend all day in bed?" he asked, mischievously.

"Oh, I wish I could, but just in case you forgot, we have four kids to take care of," I reminded. And right on cue, one of the babies began crying. "I don't know whether that's Flynn or Victoria. I should go."

"You sure?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Just, I'll probably get the kids up in a second so if you could start on breakfast or something, that'd be great," I replied.

"Mkay," Dean said, before kissing me one more time and then getting out of bed.

"Are Sam and Sawyer still coming over for breakfast?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Dean replied.

"Okay," I said, before getting out of bed as well. I got up and put my bathrobe on before tying it around my body and heading upstairs. I stopped in my steps as the crying abruptly stopped. That was strange. I better go see what that was. I quickened my pace a little and hurried up to the twins' nursery. There, I found Jude sitting in the rocking chair with Victoria in his arms. I smiled as I saw my son and his little sister.

"See, right there is a picture of Bobby. He is our grandpa but he died before you were born. He was really awesome. We used to read books together and I'd go to his house when Mom and Dad went on hunts. He had this really cool room too that no demons could get it," Jude said, showing his little sister the book that he had made for her and Flynn the day they were born.

"Jude, what're you doing up?" I asked, softly.

"I couldn't sleep. Victoria was crying," Jude replied.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," I said.

"No, it's okay, Mom. I was going to get up soon anyways. I went to their room and I thought maybe she'd stop crying if I read her something," Jude said back.

I smiled, "Well, thank you. That was thoughtful of you. And if it helps, I think it's working."

"Yeah, she stopped crying. Don't worry, Mom. I can take it from here," Jude said.

I chuckled, "Well, since when did you grow up on me?"

"Mom, I'm seven years old. I'm not a little kid anymore," Jude reminded.

"I know, I know. But you still are my little kid," I said back.

"Mom," Jude groaned.

"Sorry. Alright, I'm going to go help your father with breakfast. How about you just read some more of your book to her and then I'll come back up and you can help me bring the twins downstairs for breakfast too?" I suggested.

"That sounds good to me," Jude said. I smiled once before leaving the room. I began to walk down the hall when I heard Jude resuming his reading of his book.

"Oh, and watch out for Mom. She's really tough and can kick some major demon butt," Jude said. I laughed, hearing what Jude had put in his book before going back downstairs to change.

I got back into me and Dean's room and changed out of my pajamas and into a light pink Henley with a grey bra with lace trim on the edges underneath it. I then put on a pair of jeans. It was nice enough for breakfast this morning. I left a couple buttons undone at the top, just enough to be sexy, but not too much for it to be inappropriate. I was a mother, after all! I went back upstairs and got Flynn out of his crib. Jude walked downstairs with me and helped me set them up in the kitchen their floor crib.

"Jude, why don't you go wake up John? Dean, can you help them? I'll take over from here," I asked.

"Yeah, sure, babe," Dean said, before following Jude upstairs.

I looked around the kitchen, sighing happily. This was my home; my family. Eight years ago, I never would've imagined this for Dean and I, but here we were.

_"Walk on the ocean/Step on the stones/Flesh becomes water/Wood becomes bone…"_

Later, I could hear the boys upstairs, running around and getting ready for the day. Breakfast was all done and Sam, Sawyer, Cole, and Haley should be over any moment now. I sat on the kitchen floor, tossing a ball to Flynn, who was sitting on the kitchen floor with me. Victoria, on the other hand, was sitting in her play crib, just watching. Every time I tried to take her out of it, she started to cry, so I figured I'd just leave her in there. I tossed him the soft ball and he watched as it rolled by him before bursting into a fit of giggles.

"What? You think that's funny?" I asked, giggling a little. Flynn, his eyes wide and a huge smile on his face began to crawl towards the ball to go get it. As soon as he picked it up, he sat down and then threw it towards me. Of course, it only landed a couple of inches away from me, but he was only six months old so it made sense.

"Alright, how about we try this again, buddy?" I proposed, picking up the ball and throwing it to him again.

"Mama, look at me!" Jude exclaimed, running into the kitchen. I looked up and tried to hold back a laugh as soon as I took how he was dressed.

"What are you wearing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I want to look just like Daddy," Jude declared proudly.

I laughed, "I can see that."

I examined my son's clothing very carefully. He was wearing a plaid flannel button down that was his size with a grey t-shirt underneath. He wore jeans and lace up boots like Dean would wear to the garage. I had bought those for him a while back but I never thought he'd wear them with clothes exactly like Dean's. It was scary how much he looked like Dean just then. His hair was getting darker though and was more of a dark brown like mine.

"Do you like it?" Jude asked.

"Yeah, I do," I chuckled. "You know, it's scary how much you look like your father sometimes."

"I do?" Jude asked, his eyes lighting up.

"I want to look like Daddy too!" John yelled, running into the kitchen in light blue, cotton, checkered button down with a white t-shirt underneath. He was wearing jeans and ran around the kitchen barefoot.

"John Caleb Winchester, be careful!" I warned.

"Sorry, Mommy," he said.

"It's okay, buddy. Make sure not to run all over the place. I've got some hot pans on the stove and I don't want to drop them on you. Your brother is also on the floor and I don't want you to step on him!" I with a small chuckle. Oh my family was crazy… and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Hey, Mer, you like it?" Dean asked, coming into the kitchen.

"What, that you dressed our children just like you? Is there a… right answer to that?" I asked.

"Yeah. The answer is 'yes'," Dean said back.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes playfully, "Oh my God."

"Hey, I wanted to name one of you, Dean Jr.," Dean defending himself.

"Oh here we go again…" I joked.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it!" John and Jude exclaimed simultaneously.

"Race you to it!" John challenged, bolting for the door.

"No fair! You got a head start, cheater!" Jude called after his brother as the two raced to the door. I exchanged glances with Dean and the two of us just laughed.

"Hi, guys! I can't believe your mom is letting you answer the door already!" I heard Sawyer say.

"Aunt Sawyer, I'm seven years old, already," Jude claimed.

"Seven, already? You're growing up way too fast on us, kiddo!" Sam exclaimed.

"Mama, have juice?" Cole asked his mom, looking up at his mom, who was holding him in her arms, with his big blue eyes.

"Yeah, in a second, baby. Let's go sit down first and then I'll get you some more juice in your sippy cup," Sawyer replied.

"Kay, Mama," Cole nodded.

Dean grabbed my hand and we went to the living room where everyone was. Jude, Cole, and John were over, looking at Jude and John's toy cars on the floor while Sawyer was holding Haley.

"Sammy!" Dean smiled, seeing his brother before pulling him in for a friendly hug.

"Hey, do you mind if I go set her down?" Sawyer asked, referring to her daughter.

"No, go ahead. Victoria's actually in the kitchen just sitting in the play crib and I'm sure she'd be happy to have her cousin with her," I replied. I could see Sam and Dean were talking and I figured I'd give them some time together. "Come on," I encouraged Sawyer. Sawyer followed me to the kitchen. I began to get bowls and plates out of the cabinets to get ready for breakfast. We had pulled some chairs up to our kitchen table seeing has we had guests over.

"There you go, baby girl. It's good to see your cousin, isn't it?" Sawyer asked, setting her daughter down in the play crib right next to Victoria. "Need any help setting the table?"

"No, I'm good," I said, the clink of dishes sounding throughout the kitchen.

"Mom, setting the table is my job!" John said, running into the kitchen.

I chuckled, "I'm sorry, baby. Here, why don't you go tell everyone to come in for breakfast then you can help me finish setting the table?"

"I guess so," John said, before going back into the living room.

"So how are you?" I asked Sawyer.

"I'm great. I keep Haley at the office with me a lot but it's nice. Sam's actually being sent out on cases at the social work agency he's at now so that's been exciting for all of us really," Sawyer said.

"Well, congratulations! That is exciting," I said back.

"What about you?" she asked.

"We're all fine. The kids have so much energy it almost hurts. It was really sweet though. I woke up this morning and Jude was sitting with Victoria in the rocking chair in the nursery, just reading her a story," I replied.

"Oh my God, that's precious," Sawyer smiled.

I chuckled, "They may be loud, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

"A little birdie told me that breakfast is ready," Dean said, coming into the kitchen and coming to stand with me.

"Mhm," I said.

"Hi, Sam," I smiled, seeing my friend and brother in law.

"Mer," Sam smiled back, acknowledging me.

"Hey, beautiful," Dean said, wrapping his arms around my waist and whispering in my ear. I smiled, my hands gliding along his arms.

"Hi, you," I said back, looking up at him and smiling. He smiled back at me before letting me go.

"Mm, totally hot," Dean smirked.

"What?" I asked, giving him a funny look.

"I can totally see your bra right now," Dean said, biting his lip. I looked down and saw that my bra was peeping out of my Henley.

"Oh no!" I said, reaching to button another button.

"No, don't!" Dean stopped me.

"Oh God… here we go again. I think it's way too early in the morning for this," Sam groaned.

"I agree," Sawyer added.

"Jude, come help me with drinks for everyone," Dean started, laughing it off and changing the subject so that Sawyer and Sam couldn't make fun of us for making out in the middle of the kitchen anymore. Then again, all of our kids were here. It was a good thing that they weren't paying attention…

* * *

><p><strong>~3<strong>**rd**** Person POV~**

"**Shake it Out" by Florence + the machine**

_"Regrets collect like old friends/Here to relive your darkest moments/I can see no way, I can see no way/And all of the ghouls come out to play…"_

"Am I doing this right, Dad?" Jude asked, looking up at his dad nervously. Jude didn't want to be doing it wrong. Of course, he knew he wasn't going to get it perfect on the first try, but he adored and admired his father so much that he didn't want to disappoint his dad.

Dean inspected the shell carefully. It was loaded up with rock salt perfectly. A smile spread across Dean's face and he looked at his son, "Yeah, it's perfect."

"Really?" Jude asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"Yeah. Now come on and let's give this a shot," Dean said. The two got up, their rifles loaded and Dean walked out towards the field with his dad. There was a field right around their hunting center that Dean had taken Jude out too. Today, he had shown him how to make the rock salt bullets, and now he was going to teach him how to shoot.

"So how do I do this?" Jude asked, holding the gun up.

"Yeah, almost. Here, lower your elbow a little bit and remember to stand squared to the target. That's good, son," Dean said, adjusting his son just enough to get a perfect shot at the empty beer bottles that Dean had stacked up on a crate for his son's target practice.

"Like this?" Jude asked, turning around to look at his dad.

"Yeah, go ahead," Dean encouraged. Jude pulled the trigger and missed this one time. "Don't worry. Practice makes perfect." Jude fired a couple more shots before finally, he finally got one of the bottles.

"Dad, I did it!" Jude exclaimed, triumphantly.

"Yeah, I saw, buddy! Nice!" Dean exclaimed, high fiving his son. "Jude, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah, Dad. What is it?" Jude asked.

"I've… thought about this a lot and I've been wondering if I rushed into this. I mean, you're only seven. We didn't have to do this this soon, you know. We could've waited to teach you how to shoot and everything," Dean started.

"But you said your dad taught you how to shoot when you were younger than me," Jude said, confused.

"He did, and I had to grow up way too quickly," Dean said back. "I don't want you to have to grow up too fast like I did. You'd tell me if you weren't ready, right?"

"Yes, Dad. I want to learn. I want to be able to protect everyone like you and mom now how to," Jude explained.

Dean nodded slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the idea that he was currently teaching his seven year old son how to shoot a gun, "Alright, then. Let's get a little more practice in then."

"Yes," Jude smiled, whispering under his breath.

**~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"_And every demon wants his pound of flesh/But I like to keep some things to myself/I like to keep my issues strong/It's always darkest before the dawn…"_

"Ethan, don't let her touch the cake pans!" I said. "It's your birthday! We are doing the dishes."

"What? Oh come on. I was not going to-," Andrea started.

"Yes, you were, Mom. You can't stand having to stay out of the kitchen," Ethan said. "Now come on, Mom. Cake is almost ready. Just go and enjoy your party." Ethan shuffled his mother out of the kitchen and out into the open space of the café where we had had dinner. Ethan looked back at me as if to say 'I've got her'. The minute Ethan had walked out, Molly came behind the counter.

"Need any help?" she asked.

"Yeah, do you think you could help me light these candles?" I asked, with a small chuckle. Sixty candles were a lot to light! We had lined the edge of the cake with the candles so that we could fit all of them. In the middle of the cake, it read: Happy Birthday, Andrea!

"What are we listening?" Molly asked, as she helped me light the cake candles with the match box I had lying on the counter.

"Oh, I guess we forgot to turn it off when we were cooking. Ethan and I were listening to a little Nirvana before everyone got here," I chuckled.

"Haha, do you remember those days where I'd walk in on you and your angsty music and to cheer you up, we'd dance around your room to the Spice Girls?" Molly asked.

"Wannabe!" I exclaimed, with a laugh.

"Yes!" Molly said, chuckling.

"Those were the days… I hope our girls have that with each other. I mean, Renee's only three years older than Victoria and Haley. She can be an older sister to the two of them," Molly offered up.

I smiled, "I hope so too. I hope they'll be there for each other like you've been here for me. I hate to get all sappy but, seriously, Molly, you practically moved back here for me!"

"Oh, Mer! Please don't do this right now, because if you start, I'll start, and we're supposed to be celebrating!" Molly sniffled.

"Okay, okay," I laughed.

"Mer, you're my best friend. Of course I moved back. You needed me and Dean was dying and… well, it brought me some pretty damn good things, huh?" Molly asked.

"You know, the idea of you and Ethan never crossed my mind, but look how well it's turned out," I smiled.

"Thanks," Molly sighed.

"Alright, before we get all mushy again, we should probably go back out there. Help me with the cake?" I asked.

"Of course," Molly replied.

Molly and I carried out the cake to Andrea and we started singing 'happy birthday' before everyone else joined in. We placed the cake down in front of Andrea.

"Alright, make a wish!" I encouraged.

Andrea looked around at all of us before closing her eyes and blowing out the candles. We all clapped and cheered for her before going to sit down in our respective seats at the table.

"First, I wanted to just say thank you for another great birthday and another year with all of you. You're my family. I have watched all of you grow up and turn into wonderful people – even Dean, who I was pretty sure was going to break Meredith's heart," Andrea started. We laughed at her little comment and I gave Dean's hand a tight squeeze. Andrea had practically been my mom so it was understandable. "You all surprise every day and you've given me the most beautiful grandchildren. I only wish that Bobby could be here to watch them grow up too. Looks like we've got the next generation of Winchesters and Walshes on our hands."

There was a collective mumble about the remembrance of Bobby and some nods as well. I raised my glass, "To Bobby and to Andrea, who practically raised all of us." Dean looked over and nodded at me.

"To Mom," Ethan said.

"To Andrea," others followed.

_"And I've been a fool and I've been blind/I can never leave the past behind/I can see no way, I can see no way/I'm always dragging that horse around…"_

"Hey, you ready?" Ethan asked me.

I was quietly listening to Sam and Sawyer talk until Ethan got my attention. We were done with cake and the night was beginning to finally wind down.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Okay," he said.

"Where are you going?" Dean asked, his hand resting on my knee.

"I kinda promised Ethan I'd do something. I'll be back, okay?" I replied.

"Sure, but don't be too long. I want to talk to you about something," Dean said.

"What kind of something?" I asked, shooting Dean a look.

"Nothing, go and have your fun," Dean replied. I stood up and felt Dean's hand graze my ass. I turned around shooting him a playful glare and he just winked at me.

"What was that and do I even want to know?" Ethan asked, as I walked towards him, towards the back door.

"Nope," I replied.

"Come on," Ethan said, rolling his eyes as slung his arm around my shoulders and we walked outside. We went around to the back and found the spot where we remembered burying it. There were two small, hand shovels leaned up against brick wall. "Let's get digging."

"Okay," I chuckled. Ethan and I began to dig up the earth until Ethan hit something.

"Hey, I think I got it!" Ethan exclaimed.

"Let's see," I said. We through our hand shovels behind us and began to uncover it with our hands, Finally, we were able to pull it from the ground. "Oh my God, look at this thing!" I had been place in an old cookie tin that was highly rusted by now.

"Oh my God, look at all of this stuff! Hey, I loved this slinky!" Ethan exclaimed, taking out the slinky.

I gasped, "Oh, my favorite pen! I remember hating to part with it but you said that we had to put something valuable in it."

"Hah, I love that your valuable thing was a pen and mine was a slinky," Ethan snickered.

"Shut up," I said, hitting him playfully. "Oh my God, Ethan. Do you remember this?"

"What?" Ethan asked.

"This," I replied, holding up the piece of paper that I was holding. "We decided that we'd write three secrets about ourselves so that when we finally reopened it/when the aliens of the future discovered it, they'd know what we were thinking."

"I'm kind of scared to read these," Ethan said.

"Oh me too, but we have to," I begged.

"Alright fine," Ethan sighed.

"Alright, you can read yours. Here," I said, giving him one of the two folded up papers we had put in the box. Ethan opened the paper and then cleared his throat.

"One, I've never been kissed. Okay, I was eleven. That doesn't really count," Ethan read aloud.

I laughed, "Yeah, but at eleven, everything is a big deal."

"True. Alright, number two: Sometimes I wish I had a dog. Wow, that was some secret there," Ethan chuckled.

"The secretest secret," I teased.

Ethan laughed, "Three: I miss my dad."

"Aw," I said, giving him a compassionate smile.

"Okay, now yours. Mine were boring. Go," Ethan ordered.

I laughed, "Alright, let's see… One: I like books. Wow, okay. That wasn't a secret." Ethan just laughed. "Two: I have a crush on Dean. Again, found out that wasn't a secret."

"Yeah, it was pretty much obvious the first time you two met that you had a crush on him. I remember you coming into the café that day with him and you just wouldn't stop looking at him. Then, when he left after that week, you wouldn't stop talking about him. Oh my God!" Ethan teased, complaining.

I laughed, "I wasn't that bad."

"You were," Ethan nodded.

I sighed, chuckling, "Number three: Sometimes I wish Bobby was my real dad. Oh my God… that's terrible."

"No, it's not. Bobby was always there, and besides, we were young. Kids say those kinds of things and never mean it," Ethan comforted.

"I miss him…" I trailed off.

"Who?" Ethan asked.

I thought it over for a moment, "Both of them."

"I'm sorry, Mer," Ethan said, pulling me into a hug, and kissing the top of my head.

"Thanks, you," I said, giggling a little. "You know, we've been through it together since the beginning... how crazy is that?"

"Really crazy," Ethan said back.

"Now you're a big hot shot doctor with a beautiful daughter and another one on the way. How does it feel, Mr. Walsh?" I asked.

"Probably about the same as having four kids and being married to the guy you've been in love with forever," Ethan said back.

"Touche," I replied.

"Things worked out for the best, huh?" Ethan asked.

"Looks like it," I replied, nodding slowly. "God, look at everything in here. Look at this picture of us. Oh my God, look at those pants you were wearing!"

"Me? Please, look at those overalls you were wearing! You practically lived in those overalls," Ethan pointed out.

"Yeah, I did. They were so comfy," I smiled. There were a couple of other trinkets in the tin box but all in all, we were pretty much done going through it. Ethan just laughed at my response.

"So… should we rebury this? You know, just in case the aliens of the future want it?" Ethan proposed.

"I think so," I replied, shooting him a warm smile.

"I've got an idea. Why don't we add something for those future aliens?" Ethan asked.

"Oh yeah?" I asked.

"Yeah," Ethan replied, taking out his wallet and taking out a picture of Molly and Renee and placing it in the box. I nodded, doing the same. I put our small, wallet sized family picture into the box before closing the rusted box up once and for all.

"_Our love is pastured, such a mournful sound/Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground/So I like to keep my issues strong/But it's always darkest before the dawn…"_

"Oh, Cole, don't do that, sweetie! Don't eat the blocks!" Sawyer said, urgently trying to take the foam blocks out of Cole's mouth.

I chuckled, "Jude and I had that problem too. Whenever I turned my back he'd try to eat them all over again." Ethan and I had just come back in from digging up and then reburying our time capsule – for the future aliens, of course.

"Why don't you go play with your cousins?" Sawyer suggested to Cole. She picked him up, placing him over where Jude and John were playing cars together on the café floor. "Sorry."

"Oh, don't apologize. I completely understand," I sighed.

Sawyer took a good look at the café before saying, "You know, I remember the first night I came here."

"Oh my God," I groaned.

"It was Christmas Eve and I had no idea that Dad hadn't told you about me," Sawyer continued.

"I was such a bitch to you!" I exclaimed.

"No! I mean, yes, but it was understandable. I would've acted the same way," Sawyer replied. "But it's okay now. We're sisters and… and everything is okay."

"Yes, it is all okay," I smiled. "You know, I'm glad that you came into my life out of the blue. I had another person to complain with about dad." Sawyer laughed. "I'm kidding. I mean, sort of."

"Dad really loved you, Mer. He did. He just… he didn't know how to show it sometimes," Sawyer said.

"Thanks, Sawyer," I said nodding a little. "What do you think Dad would do if he saw us now with kids and everything?"

"Well, I'd like to think he'd be the greatest grandpa. He'd take out our kids and spoil them rotten. Then he'd probably teach them how to shoot a gun," Sawyer said.

"And we'd probably kill him after that!" I laughed.

"Yes, we would," Sawyer said, laughing along with me.  
><em><br>"Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa/Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa/And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back/So shake him off, oh whoa…"_

"Hey, I should go and start cleaning up. We'll talk later, okay?" I asked.

"Sure," Sawyer replied.

I parted from my sister and then went back by myself behind the counter to start cleaning up. I got halfway through my cleaning before Andrea came back as well.

"Oh, no! Go back out! I'm almost done cleaning," I encouraged.

"Meredith, it's my birthday. Let me help some!" she demanded.

"Alright," I sighed. "Happy birthday, Andrea! How does it feel?"

"Old," Andrea said.

I laughed, "You're not old!"

"I'm sixty. Come on, Meredith," Andrea encouraged.

"Alright, alright," I said almost to myself.

"Your mother would be proud," Andrea said, out of the blue.

"What?" I asked.

"I said, your mother would be proud. She would. She never wanted the hunting life for you, neither did your father. They'd be happy to see you now," Andrea replied.

"Thank you," I said back.

"Oh, don't thank me. Thank that heartbreaker of a husband you've got there. I really did think he was going to break your heart, and he did, but he put it back together again too," Andrea smiled, looking at Dean. Dean was talking to Sam over in the center of the café.

I chuckled, "Yeah, I was pretty sure he'd break my heart too."

"I would've killed him if he had," Andrea said.

"Oh, I know you would've. I think I warned him about that all the way back in high school," I chuckled.

"Good. He's a good man, Meredith. You're lucky," Andrea replied.

"I say that to myself all the time. It's funny because he thinks he's the lucky one but no, it's me," I said.

"You both are. You really have been a daughter to me. With you around all the time, Ethan and you running around the café…" Andrea trailed off. "You know, I'm thinking about taking a trip to Florida. I hear it's warm down there." I could tell that Andrea wasn't in the mood to go down memory lane today and I understood that.

"Florida is nice," I smiled.

"Hey, can I borrow you for a second?" Dean asked, leaning over the counter.

"Go ahead," Andrea nodded.

"Okay," I said back, giddy.

"Hey, you," I said, coming from behind the counter over to Dean.

"Come on. I want to talk to you about something," Dean said, grabbing my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Don't worry. Just trust me," Dean answered.

"Okay," I said uneasily. Dean took my hand and I followed him out of the cafe and to the side of it. He stopped as soon as we were at the brick wall; our brick wall. I giggled. "So what is it exactly that you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Not much. Just this," Dean replied, gently pushing me against the wall and crashing his lips against mine. I smiled into the kiss as Dean pressed his body against mine and pulled me closer to him. I ran my hands through his spiky, short hair and just closed my eyes, enjoying the kiss.

Dean licked my bottom lip, begging for entrance and I gladly obliged. I opened my mouth and deepened the kiss. Dean's hands moved from my hips to my butt and then to my sides, tickling me a little. I giggled into our kiss and Dean took that chance to begin kissing down my neck.

"Oh, Dean," I whispered. I could feel his lips curve into a smile as I moaned his name. Dean came back up and kissed me once more, giving me a sweet, long, passionate kiss.

He pressed his forehead against mine and swallowed before saying, "I love you, Meredith Winchester."

"I love you too, baby," I replied. "We should probably go back inside. People might think something."

"I think they were thinking something the minute we left, baby," Dean winked.

I giggled, "Come on," I said, taking his hand. Dean gladly followed me as we walked side by side, back to the café.

**~3****rd**** Person POV~**

"_I am done with my graceless heart/So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart/'Cause I like to keep my issues strong/It's always darkest before the dawn…"_

"Sammy," Dean said, sitting down. Meredith had sat on the floor with her and Dean's kids while Dean sat down at the table next to Sam. Molly and Sawyer were over at another table looking through a magazine while Ethan was helping his mom clean up.

"Where were you two?" Sam asked. Dean smirked. "Yeah, shouldn't have asked."

"It's funny that you even have to ask anymore, Sammy," Dean smiled.

"You two never stop, do you?" Sam asked.

"Nope. Then again, after hearing you two at the beach… I think this a little bit of a pot calling kettle black kind of thing," Dean shot back, jokingly.

"Oh God," Sam groaned.

"Yep. That's what she was saying too," Dean teased.

"Jerk," Sam shot at Dean.

"Bitch," Dean said back. The two men exchanged glances before laughing. "You ever miss it?"

"What?" Sam asked.

"Being out on the road?" Dean asked.

"Not at all," Sam replied, shortly.

"What? You don't miss having tons of quality time with you big brother in the metallicar, listening to the best music in the world?" Dean asked, knowing what his brother's answer would be. He just loved being a pain in the ass.

"That's the part I miss the least!" Sam joked.

"Ouch," Dean said.

"Dude, it's a joke," Sam chuckled. "I don't know… things are good here. It's what I always wanted."

Dean nodded, "I know. You know, I took Jude shooting today."

"Yeah?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"It was uh… weird. Do you think it's too soon?" Dean asked, self consciously.

Sam sighed, "I don't know. I think we want to keep our kids, kids as long as we can."

"Yeah…" Dean trailed off.  
><strong><br>~End 3****rd**** Person POV~**

"_And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back/And given half the chance would I take any of it back/It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone/It's always darkest before the dawn…"_

"Hi," I said, wrapping my arms around Dean's neck and kissing him once.

"Good," Dean said, satisfied.

"That's my cue to leave," Sam said.

"Oh, no, Sam, you don't have to," I said back.

"No, it's fine. I'm going to see what Sawyer is up to," Sam said, before leaving the table. I sat down in Sam's chair right next to Dean.

"How are the kids?" Dean asked.

"They're fine. They're just playing cars as usual. It's scary how much they remind me of you more and more every day," I sighed.

"Well, what can I say? They're dad is awesome!" Dean bragged.

"And modest too," I replied sarcastically. Dean slid his hand over to mine, holding it.

"You're hands are freezing!" he exclaimed.

"They usually are," I said back.

I returned my focus over to the kids. John, Jude, and Cole were playing with cars. John and Jude were explaining to Cole each different car and Jude was even giving him details about the engine and everything. John ended up leaving and sitting with Renee, who smoothed out her dress and gladly let John help her do the puzzle that they were doing. They were going to get married one day. I could feel it. Haley, Victoria, and Flynn were all sitting in the play cribs. It was amazing how babies could just sit for hours and still be entertained.

"What're you thinking about?" Dean asked, interrupting my train of thought.

"Not much," I replied, returning my focus to him. I smiled at my handsome husband. He was the love of my life and I was the lucky one – not him.

"Hey, we've been through a lot, haven't we?" Dean asked.

"You're just realizing this now?" I teased.

"Yeah, whatever," Dean shrugged.

I giggled, "Hey, look. I think that's the new generation of Winchesters and Walshes."

"Yeah. Scary, huh?" Dean asked.

"Definitely," I replied.

We had finally won. We were out of the hunting life, for now. We had avoided death way too many times to count, and had fought for family. Dean and I had moved mountains to be together and to start the family that we had always wanted. I took one last look around the room and all of the people in it. This was my family.

"Yeah, it was all worth it," I thought to myself.

_"Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa/Shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa/And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back/So shake him off, oh whoa…"_

* * *

><p><strong>August 18, 2031<strong>

"Oh my God. I can't believe my parents really went through all of that," Victoria said, perplexed as she set the last composition notebook down.

"I can't either. Jesus. They could make a movie out of your parents' story," Haley said back.

"Hah, I can actually see my dad's reaction right now if they turned their story into some chick flick. He'd probably have a heart attack!" Victoria laughed.

"Uncle Dean so would," Haley laughed.

"Hey, we should probably get back downstairs. We've been up here for a while now," Victoria said.

"Okay. Oh my God, I feel like I want to cry right now. You parents are just so in love…" Haley gushed.

"Honestly, I think I want to too," Victoria said. The girls exchanged laughter before hurrying back downstairs. Haley went to Victoria's room and Victoria went downstairs to see if her mom needed help setting up for the party today. Victoria hurried down the steps to see her mom taking some cookies out of the oven. "Need any help, Mom?"

"Nope, I'm fine. What were you and Haley doing up there for so long?" Meredith asked, casually.

"No reason…" Victoria started. She debated whether or not to tell her mom. What if she got mad? Ahhh but she couldn't contain it! "It's just, okay, so we kind of found your diaries… please don't be mad!"

Meredith chuckled, "I'm not mad at all. I… wow… I can't believe you found those!"

"It's just, you and dad went through a lot. I never knew all that. You guys are kind of amazing. Hah, Haley even said that you guys' love story could be some kind of romance film," Victoria said, laughing a little.

"I think your father would rather gauge his eyes out than be the start of a romance movie," Meredith replied.

"That's what I said!" Victoria said back.

"Well, it's sweet that you guys enjoyed it… I guess… wow, that's really weird. If it makes you feel better, Blake read my diaries and had the same reaction too," Meredith started.

"Aunt Blake? No way!" Victoria said.

"Yeah," Meredith nodded. "Hey, why don't you and Haley get ready for the party? People should be arriving any time soon."

"Yeah, alright, Mom," Victoria said, before going back upstairs to her room.

The whole gang always convened at their house for the Renee and Jude's birthdays. They were both August birthdays and when Jude turned eight, they decided to have a joint birthday party between Renee and Jude. It had become a Walsh/Winchester tradition.

"Hey, we should get ready for the party. Mom says people should start coming over any time soon," Victoria said, returning to her room.

"Yeah? Ooh, do you think I could borrow that purple sundress of yours?" Haley asked her cousin.

"Sure, but what should I wear?" Victoria asked back.

Meredith went back upstairs and heard the girls talking and laughing over something. She smiled to herself. She thought back to the night of Andrea's 60th birthday party. That had truly felt like a new beginning. Meredith, Dean, Molly, Ethan, Sawyer, and Sam's times were coming to an end. It was the next generation's turn._  
><em>

_The End_

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Sorry for the rant at the beginning of the chapter. I hope you read it. This has been so surreal for me. And now, it's the end. The real end. Wow. I hope you enjoyed the epic of Meredith and Dean, hah. More stories to come soon and PLEASE let me know what you thought. I hope that this chapter's length wasn't too intimidating/turn offish. I will still be doing The Next Generation story and the oneshot series :). I hope you follow me there! So, goodbye to Meredith and Dean for now. It's about time they go their happy ending.


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